The Schrinner Council has a secret plan to clear-fell up to 42 Kauri Pines, including mature healthy trees, along the historic avenue in the Sherwood Arboretum. I have been notified, but this plan is being kept secret from local residents.
As many of you would know, some trees at the southern end of the Arboretum struggle due to a high water table. Over the years, Council has replaced some trees and trialled mounds to lift the Kauris roots out of the water. Interestingly, tree failures in the Arboretum are no more frequent than ordinary park or street tree plantings.
Yet a decision has been made behind closed doors not to investigate a long-promised drainage solution, and instead to simply remove 42 Kauris over the next few years. The Kauris would be replaced with a different native species. I have been questioning Council Officers about this decision for weeks, but cannot stay silent any longer. The Friends of Sherwood Arboretum (FOSA) have also voiced their concerns directly to Council.
In my view this decision is premature. The alternatives, including drainage solutions or replacements, have not been fully investigated or costed and the cultural value of the trees, a key feature of the Arboretum’s heritage listing, is being ignored.
While Council invested welcome funding to upgrade the Arboretum in the lead up to its Centenary in 2025, no ongoing funding has been allocated for major works. There is only recurrent funding for mowing and maintenance, despite the Arboretum forming part of Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens. The lack of funding for the Arboretum is a huge part of the problem. Council spends millions on iconic parks but is choosing to remove healthy, mature, heritage-listed trees rather than preserve them because it is cheaper to cut than keep them.
Can you imagine if Council said it wanted to cut down, instead of preserve, 42 healthy trees at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens? It would not be acceptable there and it is not acceptable in Sherwood either.
Help me save the Kauri Avenue from destruction. Once Council starts, they will not stop and the iconic Sherwood Arboretum will be changed forever due to the Schrinner Council’s short-sighted budget cuts. Don’t let photographs be the only reminder of the iconic Kauri Avenue for future generations.
Please sign the petition and help to preserve the iconic Sherwood Arboretum.