CITY of Kalamunda councillors will consider options to protect an avenue of lemon-scented gums facing the axe along Welshpool Road East in Wattle Grove.
The trees were scheduled to be cut down last year to create a slip road to the St Peters Jacobite Syrian Church development, which was approved by the City last year.
There was significant community opposition to the felling of the trees, prompting the City to work with the owners and Main Roads to reduce the number of trees requiring removal.
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READ NOWIn November the Council resolved to ask the chief executive officer to investigate how the City could establish the heritage status of the trees to prevent any further |development impacting the trees.
City development services director Natalie Martin Goode said at a briefing meeting last week although the State Heritage Council did not believe the trees had significant cultural value, the City had options available for giving the trees local heritage status and protection under the City’s local planning scheme.
“We looked at four options, including listing the trees in the municipal heritage inventory, but on its own this provides very little protection,” she said.
“So we are recommending council undertake investigations to include the trees on the City’s municipal heritage inventory as well as including the trees within a heritage area and prepare an accompanying local planning policy for the trees.
“Creating a heritage area and preparing a local planning policy for the trees is where the greatest protection comes from.”
The matter will be decided at the next ordinary council meeting on February 27.
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