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Fraser Park, Caloundra

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Subject: Fraser Park, Caloundra
From: Russell Woodford <>
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 13:35:30 +1000
Hi everyone

This is hardly likely to be a raging environmental issue, but it does highlight some of the blinkered thinking which is affecting tiny elements of our environmental heritage.

I recently had a couple of pleasant weeks in Caloundra (Sunshine Coast, Qld) where I stayed at Gemini Resort. This complex sits at the edge of Fraser Park, a long strip of developed park and trees between Golden Beach itself and The Esplanade. There are playgraounds, barbecue & picnic facilities, boat hire and a lifeguard post, plus lawn, a paved bikeway/footpath and plenty of trees, many of which are Cotton Woods (someone like to suggest a species for these?).

Gemini Resort wants to remove most of the trees in front of the complex itself and replace them with 4 Cotton Woods. A submission form for public comment is available from the resort desk as well as from Caloundra City Council. I have included the full text of this below.

While I was staying at Gemini, I observed several species using these targetted trees for perching and roosting:

Crested Pigeon
Spotted Turtledove
Rainbow Lorikeet
Welcome Swallow
Little Wattlebird
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Striated Pardalote
House Sparrow
Pied Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Magpie-Lark
Torresian Crow


Clearly, all of these birds are common and have plenty of other places to perch. I believe the main problem is with the attitude of the Gemini Body Corporate, in that they want to create a monoculture - in PUBLIC PARKLAND - to suit their own commercial interests. Most of the trees earmarked for removal are large, and block much of the view from ground-floor and first-floor appartments. The replacement Cottonwoods would be placed to minimise this obstruction (there is a rough plan on the noticeboard in front of the resort.

Unfortunately, I've left it a bit late to pass on this information - the submissions are due tomorrow. Rather than using the reply-paid envelope, I am emailing my comments to the Caloundra Council:


Others may like to do the same. Here is the text from the submission form:

FRASER PARK REDEVELOPMENT

Gemini Resort Body Corporate in cooperation with Caloundra City Council propose to redevelop a portion of Fraser Park.

The redevelopment will include the removal of a number of existing trees and replacing them with four advanced Cotton Woods to reinforce the uniformity and character of the existing Park.

Council and Gemini Resort seeks Public Opinion on the removal of these trees and their replacements.

The trees nominated for removal are tagged, being Casuarinas, Melaleucas, Brush Box, Eucalyptus, Banksia and Cupaniopsis species. These trees are nominated due to their poor form and condition and their inappropriateness to the design proposal.

A plan of the proposed changes can be viewed at Golden Beach shops in the Community Notice Board. Council's contact Officer for this project is the Senior Landscape Architect, Lea Durie.

Please return this reply paid form by Friday 27th April, 2001.

----------------------------- 11 dotted lines for submissions ------------------------


Russell Woodford
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