Normally touted as an environmentally-friendly solution, light rail faces big challenges in when corridors need to be quarantined. Image: The Randwick-Botany Greens
In an unexpected controversy that’s provoked residents and environmental groups to take to the streets with their protest placards, Randwick City Council has slammed the New South Wales government’s plan to clear a path for the new $2.1 billion South East Light Rail project by lopping away dozens of historically significant trees – some of these trees are more than 100 years old.
The council has put a spotlight on the issue in the final lead up to Transport for NSW’s plan for preliminary construction works for the project in Moore Pack and Randwick between 4th and the 16th January, 2016.
That essentially means in order to quarantine the corridor essential to laying the tracks, loppers will be called in to conduct tree pruning and tree removal works between Anzac Parade and Alison Road.
But the council and the community is having none of it, as an ‘adopt-a-tree’ rally has been planned for 6th January on the corner of Alison and Darley Roads in Randwick in a last ditch effort to save the trees.
The trees are located on the edge of Centennial Parklands along Alison Rd and are scheduled for removed to make way for the impending light rail line.
Although the council vocally opposes the tree removal, it has said that it is “very supportive” of building light rail in Randwick and has campaigned for its introduction for more than a decade, but wants to see as many trees saved as possible.
The situation poses an interesting point of discussion for the upcoming Light Rail 2016 conference in Melbourne on 24th-25th February, 2016, where industry leaders and experts would be encouraged to address the potential environmental impacts of building light rail corridors and how communities, councils, state governments and private contractors may collaborate to achieve the best possible solutions.
Randwick Greens Councillor Murray Matson said the trees could be saved by moving the alignment back to the south side of Alison Rd along the racecourse as originally proposed by the government and agreed in a development agreement between Randwick Council and Transport for NSW.
“Council has a good track record of working proactively with Transport for NSW to save trees,” Mr Matson said.
“Transport has been open to discussion and to their credit they have reduced the number of trees being removed through a number of changes such as moving the Randwick terminal out of High Cross Park.”
“I’m asking the government to delay the planned tree removal to enable the Council and Transport for NSW to continue discussions to find an alternative route to preserve trees,” Mr Matson said.
“I’m pleased that local member for Coogee Bruce Notley-Smith is sending representatives to the rally and I’m hopeful that he can intervene to give us more time,” he added.
