Eastlink to claim trees

By Nathan Johnston
RIVERGUMS on Fotheringham Reserve in Noble Park will be removed to make way for the Eastlink project.
The City of Greater Dandenong’s director of engineering services Tim Tamlin said Eastlink contractors Thiess John Holland working to minimise the impact of the freeway on the reserve, but tree loss was inevitable.
“We had a site visit with the Friends of Fotheringham Reserve, Thiess John Holland, and council officers,” Mr Tamlin said.
“We walked the northbound carriageway, and Thiess John Holland has agreed to change the alignment slightly to save as many trees as we can.
“A lot of work has been done on the northbound carriageway, but they haven’t started designs on the other carriageway, which will have a larger impact on Fotheringham Reserve.”
Friends of Fotheringham Reserve president Jim Ware said the group would work cooperatively with Thiess John Holland throughout the process.
“We’ve known that the freeway would be coming through here for the last 40 years,” Mr Ware said.
“We just have to make the best of a bad thing. We could be destructive to the whole process, but I think we’ll get a better result if we’re constructive and work with them.
“We’ve had site meetings with them and had a recent working bee where two members of the Thiess John Holland team came along to help out and answer questions from our group.
“We’re going to lose areas where we’ve planted thousands of trees, but they can be replanted.
“It’s just the areas that have been untouched that we want to save.
“As a friends group, we just want the best result for the environment.”
The friends group has organised a tree planting day on Sunday, 25 September.
Phone Jim Ware on 0412 331 405 during business hours for more information.