172 days to go 20.3.2012

Yesterday the Gallery was closed for ‘electrical work’. Love to know what that’s about.

double-click to enlarge

 

And tonight the Laman Street plan was discussed at Council.

STUMP 21.2.2012

The Street Tree Masterplan will be presumably approved tonight at Council.

Thanks to Liz for realising that the acronym looks like STUMP – which just about sums up the approach to trees in NCC.

Maitland’s Memorial Trees 4.7.2011

I skimmed Newcastle City Council’s Street Tree Masterplan as it’s currently on exhibition – thanks to a friend for letting me know about it. The photo on the left is of a leopard tree, posted here because I notice these are on the list of exotics to be planted as street trees in Newcastle.

Street tree masterplan briefing 11.5.2011

A briefing was given to Council about the Draft Street Tree Masterplan last night. Can’t remember a more boring evening at Council, and that’s saying something – I do not know how Councillors do it week in and week out.

No smoking 9.5.2011

I wanted to share with you the No Smoking sign in the Memorial Grove.

A Happy Arborist’s Report 2.12.2010

In July I wrote about an Avenue of Honour in a town called O’Connell near Bathurst where the future of the trees were threatened by road widening.

The night before court 5.10.2010

This is a picture of what King Street looked like before the arborist ‘assessed the trees and they had to go’. I could FOI that report but at the moment I don’t have the energy. I just know it would irritate me.

Six months before the trees went I was told by a council officer that the block would be ‘done up’ so I guess the hazard the trees represented was being in the way of a new footpath. Which looks very pretty but it’s hard to get excited about footpaths.

Have your photo taken in Laman Street before it’s too late 16.9.2010

A friend dropped in to see me today and brought an East coast freetail bat with her that she is trying to nurse back to health. She may have a few more in the near future once the arborists, council officers and elected councillors get their way in Laman Street …

Good News, Bad News and Cobblers 11 8 2010

Last year, in one of Newcastle’s many tree stories, a councillor helped a Mayfield Street denude itself of about seven mature camphor laurels because a single insurance claim against council for infrastructure damage was successful.

Community consultation and the example of Marrickville Council

I went to the very beginning of  tonight’s council meeting to hear about street tree management. The gems that I recall (typically, my pen didn’t work) are: