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
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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