We often take trees for granted – they are just there.
This was a scene portrayed to me on ABC TV show Lateline tonight:
Imagine that you go for your evening walk, some of you with a dog, and all of a sudden there are no trees and no shade.
This is what happened recently in Sydney when Moreton Bay Fig trees, some aged more than 130 years old, along Anzac Parade were chopped down for a light-rail project.
It appears corruption may have been involved when the light rail was moved across the road because of a large commercial development approved on the original side of the road for the project.
The local residents are very upset, understandably so. There is not much they can do because there are ‘special’ powers the state government has on these large ‘special’ projects.
Watching this made me very sad. The residents involved were showing genuine remorse. People love their trees and have memories of them dating back to their childhood.
Have you ever gone back to see a tree you once planted – it is quite a liberating experience.
So these trees that were planted in about 1880 are gone. They are planting many more to replace them, but are they really replaceable? Does it really make sense?