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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1688 ..

Mr Berry: Because Gary Humphries removed the protection.

MR SPEAKER: Would you sit down. Mr De Domenico is answering the question.

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Ms Horodny for her question. I believe that it concerns the area where she lives. I thank Ms Horodny for the fact that she realised that this was a highly technical question and had the sense to give me advance warning of it. There is no current plan to remove trees from the paved areas at the Ainslie shops. The trees were planted several years ago, I am advised, when the new paving was installed. At that time, four prunus trees, or plum trees, were planted. There are now three plum trees and one eucalypt which was planted by a shopkeeper, I am told, in the space where a plum tree had been planted before.

There is currently a street tree replacement program which is to involve the removal and replanting of street trees in Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie. This street runs beside and behind the Ainslie shops. The trees that are to be removed from Wakefield Gardens are all plum trees - Prunus cerasifera nigra, or purple-leaved flowering plums, I am told. There are 13 trees to be removed and 13 new trees to be planted. The trees to be removed are all in very poor condition, I am advised. This is the second stage of the replacement program for this street. The first stage was carried out in 1992. A letter has been delivered to all residents in the street to inform them of the program, and all the trees to be removed were marked with a red cross yesterday, 22 May. I am happy to make officers available to you, Ms Horodny, for a full briefing, if that is what you require.

MS HORODNY: I ask a supplementary question. What is the Government's general policy on allowing native street trees in the older areas of Canberra that currently have exotic street trees?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Ms Horodny for the supplementary question. There is no fixed policy in regard to the removal of trees that do not conform to the streetscape - for example, those planted by residents. City Operations does, however, have a tree replacement program to maintain the same species, as in the case of Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie. There is some conjecture in the community about native versus exotic - for example, in terms of safety. I do not know whether you recall the fires at Mount Macedon in Victoria, where there are a lot of exotic trees. Very little of Mount Macedon burnt down, because the flames tended to go over the trees and not burn the trees. We look at safety. We also look at heritage. Some trees, exotic and native, are listed on the heritage register, so you have to protect and preserve those. You have to look at the maintenance of the tree in the planting scheme as well. You have to look at community wishes. You cannot just cut down trees because you do not particularly like them, if they are what the community wants. Last but not least, you have to look at streetscapes. Whilst there is no specific policy, all those issues have to be looked at.

Mrs Carnell: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

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