UPDATE: Removal of small number of trees at South Lawson Park
4 November 2022
As a long-held part of the South Lawson Park upgrade design plans, a small number of trees were removed this week on the north side of the site. The six trees (plus one dead tree) were identified for removal in 2019, as part of the upgrade design, and were felled under the close supervision of an independent arborist to ensure the work was completed safely and without damage to other nearby trees.
The six living trees that were removed will be replaced with 15 new native trees
Once the upgrade work is completed, a total of 48 new native trees will have been placed across South Lawson Park, part of over 35,000 new plantings, with an emphasis on improving protection of the creek line, swamp and wet areas.
While Council always looks at every option to reduce the impact of our activities on the natural environment, in this case a small number of trees have had to be removed.
Other locations were considered for the route of the shared path that would avoid the trees on the hill behind the old clubhouse, but there are significant and quite shallow underground sewer services running close by which made other path alignments unsuitable.
We are also working to increase accessibility for people within a particularly steep part of the park, and this presents a range of challenges in regards to the angle of paths and where they need to be located. Necessary changes to ground levels as part of the upgrade earthworks would also effect the structural root zone of some of the removed trees, making them unsafe.
An unhealthy gum tree was also removed from the nature play area as it was significantly leaning over this space being designed for children to gather.
Removal of these trees was always part of the upgrade plans and was included in the Part 5 Environmental Approval for the project.
