Spare a thought for the environment.
Camera IconSpare a thought for the environment. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Lathlain residents have right to protest

John Eaton, LathlainSouthern Gazette

THE residents of Lathlain have every reason to protest the tree removals from the new West Coast football team’s development project at Lathlain Park.

Those promoting the project claim they have adequately “consulted” with the local community. The consulting actually consisted of promotion of the event through mail-outs and a number of “community events” that outlined the perceived benefits of the project.

The detail not promoted was the fact that the inclusion of a second oval would necessitate the removal of a large number of mature trees, many of which are essential roosting trees for black cockatoos, along with a range of other native species.

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This detail has only recently come to light.

Everyone knows that the large-scale removal of mature trees is going to be controversial.

It seems to me that the promoters of the project assumed the best way to avoid controversy was to hide the unpleasant aspects until it was too late.

They may well succeed in achieving their objective of gaining planning approval, but I doubt whether it will leave local residents feeling that the project has been developed with the best interests of the community in mind.

A single oval with the surrounding areas developed into parkland would have drawn a much higher level of community support, and could potentially have drawn the same amount of government support and funding.

How many ovals does the AFL need near the city?

JOHN EATON, Lathlain.