The felled tree being removed from the Colwyn Rd property.
Camera IconThe felled tree being removed from the Colwyn Rd property. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Bayswater residents ‘gutted’ by cutting down of mature tree on Colwyn Rd

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

A MATURE tree that was cut down at a private property on Colwyn Road in Bayswater has led to some residents calling for more protection of trees.

The tree at the front of a subdivided block at the corner of Colwyn Road and Pearson Street was removed by developers on December 7.

Bayswater resident Cindy Wieringa said she was “gutted” to see the tree being cut down.

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“It is so infuriating that councils are not more protective of our mature trees at the hands of developers,” she said.

“Surely architects can find a way of designing properties to work with our environment and not against it.”

Bayswater Mayor Dan Bull said no approval was required to remove a tree located on private property.

“Councils across Perth are suffering from a metropolitan-wide decline in tree canopy as a result of infill development,” he said.

“The City of Bayswater is investigating ways to minimise tree loss during development.

“The City is currently developing a scheme amendment and supporting policy for consideration by council early in the new year that will address tree loss on private property.”

Cr Bull said the City took a “strong stance” against the removal of street trees during the development and subdivision process.

Cr Bull said $400,000 was committed towards the planting of street trees in this financial year in a bid to fulfil the City’s Vision 2020 to increase quality green space in the urban environment by 20 per cent by 2025.

Bayswater Urban Tree Network co-founder Greg Smith said his group was formed in order to get the council to start conserving trees but the council failed to do that on private properties.

“Unless there is changes to the town planning scheme with a significant tree list or similar changes then Bayswater’s future is as a desert,” he said.

“If the City wants to live up to its name as the Garden City, then it has got to make administrative changes so it can do that.”

Mr Smith said if trees continued to be cut down then it would make the City hotter due to the urban heat island effect.

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