Meeting to discuss Tree Management Plan

The ACT Government has convened a meeting at 6.00pm on Monday 15 March in the Corroboree Park Hall.  It appears that the notices were not delivered to every house in the Corroboree Park area.  Letter reproduced below - click 'read more'.  The TaMS website provides some information which is not in the invitation:

A condition inventory of the trees in Corroboree Park and along the adjoining roads has been undertaken.
We want to share the results of this inventory with the community and work with them to develop a plan for future management of the trees in this important Park.
Corroboree Park is one of Canberra’s oldest parks and contains a mixture of remnant and planted trees. It is a Park that is widely used and cherished and the tree management plan will outline the measures needed to keep the trees healthy and looking good for future generations.
The tree management plan is expected to be completed by June this year.

Another significant tree cut down - Guardian Tree at Bulahdelah

The week before Christmas must be government tree-cutting season.  Perhaps it's the rush to get things done before the holidays.  Or maybe they think no-one will protest because we're all too busy...

George Villaflor kindly drew attention just before Christmas to the efforts to preserve the Guardian Tree on a hill near Bullahdelah in NSW.  The 25m eucalypt, described as an Aboriginal healing tree, was in the path of the Bulahdelah bypass being built by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority. The next day, the tree had gone.

Letter announcing 'pruning' of Tallest Tree

This letter, delivered late on Friday 18 December, announces that the tall Eucalyptus viminalis near the tennis courts is to be pruned this week.  Discussion with the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment indicates that 'pruning' will involve removal of all of the tree's branches.  The letter still refers to expert opinion as the reason for the lopping.  We haven't seen any evidence that such a significant tree has been properly investigated to check the extent of any hollows or rot.

Letter from Chief Minister

I received this letter from Jon Stanhope on Thursday, but hadn't figured out until now how to post a .pdf on the blog.

Letter to CEO of TAMS

Mr. Gary Biles
Chief Executive
Department of Territories and Municipal Services
Level 5 Macarthur House,
12 Wattle Street,
Lyneham ACT 2602

December 15

Dear Mr Biles,

URGENT
Announcement by your department of decision to fell white gum, Tallest Tree in Canberra*, north east corner of Corroboree Park in Corroboree Park Heritage Precinct, Ainslie.

I refer to announcements in the media and on Paterson Street Ainslie on Saturday 5^th December to a crowd of concerned people that the government’s intention is to fell this tree.

We have listened to oral information and opinions about the tree, read the media release first announcing the intention to fell it (before a cherry picker was bought in to examine it), heard some media interviews, and observed some attendances by arborists and machinery at the site. We have requested (Via the Commissioner who has received three complaints against TAMS about the tree) that reports and other information supporting the opinions and decision be made available to the public in writing for study and this has been denied.