Fremantle: four days remaining to comment on Kings Square fig trees

FREMANTLE residents have only a few days left to give their feedback on whether two fig trees in Kings Square should be cut down.

In a community meeting held last Thursday , the proposal was discussed and debated by eight local residents.

The consensus was ‘give something new, something different’ and ‘to do it now’.

One of the unwell fig trees, which is 120 to 140 years old, had been reported to be in significant decline, with damage done to the roots in the 1980s, and has 80 to 90 per cent foliage loss.

The other tree had improved health until Wednesday, March 14, when the tree had a ‘limb failure’ where a large branch fell to the footpath below.

Other issues raised were the quality of the soil, finding suitable alternatives and how any trees would survive with the changing climate conditions.

Kings Square project director Russell Kingdom said the City had been monitoring the Moreton Bay figs in Kings Square and Fremantle since 2008.

“More recent assessments have shown a rapid decline in health of two of the trees that were being retained as part of the Kings Square public realm concept design,” he said.

About 60 submissions have been made already and the community will be able to comment on the business plan on My Say Freo website until Thursday July 5.