Marmion Avenue in Butler.
Camera IconMarmion Avenue in Butler. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey

Butler: felling of Norfolk pines disappoints resident

Laura PondNorth Coast Times

BUTLER resident Brian Butterworth was disappointed to see Norfolk pines being cut down on Marmion Avenue last week.

The trees were removed from the road median as work started on the City of Wanneroo’s project to widen Marmion Avenue from Lukin Drive to Butler Boulevard.

Mr Butterworth is president of the Brighton Estate Residents’ Association and has lived in Butler for 14 years.

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“I’m disappointed and a lot of people in Brighton Estate have seen these trees grown from little saplings to large trees,” he said.

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He said he was aware of the need to widen Marmion Avenue but was upset the pines were “simply ground up”.

“Why did they have to be destroyed rather than relocated?” he said.

“I’m disappointed a greater effort was not put in to replanting them.”

City of Wanneroo assets director Harminder Singh said the project required the reduction of the median width to accommodate vehicle turn pockets.

“With the application of an environmentally sensitive design approach, of the 53 Norfolk pines potentially affected 38 will be retained,” he said.

“The City also investigated whether the 15 trees impacted by the proposed turn pockets could be successfully relocated but this proved unviable.

“The removed trees will be mulched and recycled, as part of the City’s sustainability practices in civil construction.”

It will undertake landscaping during winter next year to plant “appropriate trees and shrubs”.