Sheryl Lowe, Naracoorte Community News
The Penola Commonage has entered the Clarke Street tree removal discussion with one councillor saying the dumping of the 16 Cypress trees after felling, is not appropriate.
The bank of trees has been the topic of discussion for several months with some community members in favour of keeping them.
They provide a windbreak and a screen from the industrial area of the town, they claim.
Cr Dean Burrow was unsuccessful in his bid to stop the tree debris being dumped on the Penola Commonage for drying out in readiness for burning.
He has also been vocal about the wishes of members of the community, who oppose the removal of the trees, in recent discussions during Council meetings.
Crs Deb Agnew and Cr Moira Neagle have suggested better and more thorough community consultation by Council would have been preferrable during discussion about the removal of the Clarke Street trees.
Cr Burrow referred to the Commonage Deed of Trust which was drawn up after the WRC amalgamation.
The Commonage is owned by the Council, but he said it was clear the land was “held in trust for community uses.”
There is some ambiguity about what the Commonage (noun community land) can be used for he said; it is clear it was to be used for community use and not unpleasant things like the spreading of waste water and burning of timber.
Cr Burrow referred to correspondence he had received from Mr Gower but didn’t elaborate.
“The people of Penola are passionate about the Commonage and don’t want it used for dumping and burning timber and other unpleasant things,” Cr Burrow said.
Cr Burrow referred to Council’s practice of monitoring ratepayers use of private land and compared this to what Council intended to do in the dumping of tree debris.
During his submission, Cr Burrow began to ask Dir Emma Clay if the actions of dumping and burning timber on the Commonage would breach planning rules, but was interrupted by Mayor Des Noll and told to stick to the subject to which the councillor said, “I thought I was.”
CEO Ben Gower advised the meeting he had sourced a possible contact who may use the larger timber from the trees and said the remainder would be taken to the Commonage for burning.
Instead of being left to dry out; the foliage and smaller timber branches could be burnt within a day or two of being stored there instead of what may have been months or years, he said.
The removal of the Clarke Street trees is part of the Penola/Coonawarra Rail Trail project.
Cr Dale Price asked who the Trustees of the Commonage were, with Mr Gower saying the Deed of Trust didn’t stipulate.
“So, we have no Trustees on land we already own,” said Cr Price.
In March 2021, Council passed a motion to formulate a management plan for the Commonage but Cr Burrow noted it has not been done to date.
Mr Gower said it was quite a big task and indicated that lack of time and staffing had been prohibitive to its preparation and completion.
The motion was lost with Cr Burrow the only one in favour of his motion. Riddoch Ward Councillor Chris Brodie did not support the motion of his fellow Riddoch Ward Councillor.
The minutes show, “ Cr Dean Burrow moved that Council make a regulation prohibiting the stock piling and burning of waste timber, sourced from anywhere other than that which is grown and generated from the Commonage land.” Seconded Cr Cox. Lost.
This article appeared in Naracoorte Community News.
