Fremantle council‘s decision to remove 130-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree from protection list could be revoked

A decision to remove council protection from a century-old Moreton Bay fig tree that sparked uproar across a Perth community could be revoked by councillors on Wednesday night.

Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge has confirmed on social media she will support a motion to reverse the February 14 decision, despite her “fundamental discomfort” with the way it was added to the significant tree register without owner consent.

“This is not a decision I take lightly,” she said. “And I accept that it will be a blow for the Cattalini family, who have borne the burden of caring for this tree for a long time.”

At least 150 residents gathered on High Street in Fremantle last week to protest the removal of the tree from the register and a petition had racked up more than 11,000 signatures by Wednesday morning.

Former Fremantle mayor and Greens MP Brad Pettit told PerthNow last week that the decision to remove the fig from the significant tree list was a mistake.

“What I hope comes from this instead is that there is an opportunity for the council to reverse that decision and instead work with the landowner to provide the right incentives to keep the tree,” he said.

“I appreciate someone wants to redevelop this site but it would really set a terrible precedent.”

Fremantle councillor Adin Lang has put forward a notice of motion — backed by four other elected members — to revoke the decision, citing “clear and strong” community interest.

“It has become apparent that the item under discussion requires more inclusive and representative feedback from our community members, many who were unaware of the possibility that the tree’s protections were to be removed at the last council meeting,” his motion reads.

If supported, the move would rescind the council’s initial support of the Cattalini family’s request to remove the tree from the protected list.

The family say the tree’s presence is “deterring potential buyers” and creating “financial hardship” in their bid to sell the property.

“This property has been on the market for a number of years and each time an entity shows interest, they are put off by the registration of the tree on the significant tree register,” they wrote in council documents.

“This, coupled with the downturn in commercial economy in the City of Fremantle in general, is causing me great financial hardship.”

Ms Fitzhardinge said while the council’s decision remained legally valid, policies around its significant tree register needed to change.

“It’s clearly a community priority that we get more trees protected by being on the register,” she wrote on Facebook.

“So aligned with the Urban Canopy motion supported in December last year, I will also propose that we accelerate the introduction of incentives to support the maintenance of trees on the significant tree register, for consideration in our budget deliberations for 2024-25.”