By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A street-tree replacement program described as a “moonscaping” of Hemmings Street and Weller Street Dandenong has been scaled back.
On 8 August, City of Greater Dandenong announced that 17 trees would be removed from the precinct.
It was far less than the initial proposal to fell 71 paperbarks, acacias and a liquid amber tree, which was halted by a furious community and councillor backlash.
Major projects director Paul Kearsley told Star Journal that the 17 removed trees were assessed as “in decline or in poor health, too close to power poles/services and/or too close to the kerbside.”
“This project has been guided by extensive consultation with our community and stakeholders in the area.
“These works have been endorsed by Council.”
As part of the works, the council started planting street trees in gaps on nature strips on 8 August. The 17 trees are expected to be replaced over the next three weeks.
Resident Peter O’Loughlin said he was happy that the campaign “saved 50 trees” but wanted more detail on which trees were headed for the chop.
“I’m disappointed that the council couldn’t give us more detail about what they are doing.”
Councillor Rhonda Garad, who supported the campaign, said the neighbourhood “didn’t want to live in a moonscape for 10 years” while the replacement plantings grew to maturity.
She said it was a “bit of a win for the people”.
“There was no malice from the council. It believed they were doing the right thing.
“But the residents didn’t want curated, manicured streets. They wanted streets that were real.”
In April, the council retreated from its original 71-tree plan after residents in the council’s Hemmings Street Community Action Group claimed they were blind-sided.
At the time, the council argued the trees blocked sightlines, turned nature strips to “scorched earth”, created trip hazards and obscured street lighting.
The council planned to replace them with 102 plantings of street tree species that aligned with its Greening Our City strategy.
The strategy identifies certain tree species being replaced across Greater Dandenong, including a species of paperbark that grows in the Hemmings Street area.
The $160,000 works were co-funded with an $80,000 grant from the state Department of Justice and Community Safety
