Page 1045 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
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That is not what is suggested by this motion. It is a simple motion that asks that their views be solicited. You may, if you wish, Minister, ignore their views, having solicited them; but I do think you have an obligation to ask them what they think. You may ask them and ignore them if you wish, but you should at least be asking them.
Ms Ellis pointed out that there are some great gum tree plantings in Dampier Crescent, Forrest, that look magnificent. I quite agree; they do. I am not a fan of gum trees, but I quite agree that they can look very good. I was not attacking eucalypts. I think some people can do great things with them.
Ms Ellis: No, I know that you were not, but some residents are.
MR HUMPHRIES: Some residents do not like them; that is true. But I think there is a certain danger with that attitude. It says, "We, the urban designers, the landscape planners, know better than the residents. We know that some ghost gums along this street will be magnificent. I am sorry if you want something else, but we know best". That is a policy that I think it does not behove any government to follow, and that is something we should be trying to avoid. It is important to get as early a start as possible, but the Government should not be worried about surrendering its capacity to make those decisions based on some consultation.
Mr Wood is flicking through the Pryor and Banks book on Canberra trees. I have a copy of that book at home; it is a very valuable book. If you look at it carefully, particularly in the case of the older suburbs of South Canberra, it indicates that there is a very effective policy of divergent planning policies for different streets. Some streets of Forrest have some great gums in them; they look magnificent. Other streets in Forrest have some well-developed European deciduous trees; they also look great. It is not essential that the suburb have a policy, like Aranda, where every street has a eucalypt theme, or the same eucalypts.
Mr Lamont: There is an overall strategy in those suburbs.
MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed there is, but within a strategy you can build in some question of personal choice. It is not necessary that every street have the same trees planted in every spot. You can have some interaction with the people who live in the street. If you say to the residents, "In this street, because the soil is very poor, it is essential that we have native species which are relatively fast growing, which are good in poor soil with poor drainage. That has to be the policy, and here are some trees that fit within that policy. How about giving us some ideas?", residents can do that.
Mr Lamont: We give in, Gary. We yield. You have worn us down.
MR HUMPHRIES: I hear what Mr Lamont says, and I am glad to see that. I think we can see with this motion a fairly positive step, and I hope that it will have the support which will give the Government some guidance on how we should proceed to implement such a policy.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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