Chris Oldfield, Naracoorte Community News
Existing trees and vegetation will be bulldozed and an avenue of 47 London Plane Trees planted along the footpath of Stewart Tce – from Park Tce to Playford Dve.
The decision comes despite fears that it could ruin $1 million worth of hockey turf.
In June last year Naracoorte Lucindale Council decided to plant plane trees along the walking path of Stewart Tce next to the Sports Centre, following a motion by Cr Tom Dennis, seconded by Cr Monique Crossling.
But on May 12 this year, the council received an undated letter from Naracoorte and District Hockey Association, concerned about the effect on turf through leaf litter, pollen and the plane trees’ root systems.
“The turf was a significant investment into the Naracoorte Sports Centre and the town, with an asset value of approximately $1 million,” the letter from association secretary Elizabeth Champion said.
“Included in this is an $80,000 loan from the NLC.
“We are opposed to the planting of the trees, as it is well known that plane trees cause large amounts of leaf litter, which will cause serious damage if it gathers on our turf.
“What’s more, with a large, invasive root system, there is potential for damage to more than just our turf, as evidenced by damage caused by these trees to buildings and footpaths within the Naracoorte CBD.”
Council reconsiders planting the trees.
In a report to the council’s June 14 Strategic Asset and Planning (SAP) meeting, manager operations Karl Manarangi called on the council for direction on how to proceed.
“They (the association) request the avenue is terminated where it is currently stopped – just north of Sports Centre Dve – and the existing vegetation is retained,” he said in his written report.
The 47 plane trees were to be installed in two sections – from Park Tce to Sports Centre Dve, and then from there to Playford Dve.
Mr Mangarangi made two recommendations – one to proceed as planned, or, not to plant the second stage from Sports Centre Dve to Playford Dve and those trees be planted elsewhere.
Director infrastructure Daniel Willsmore said the avenue of plane trees “was approximately 30 metres away from the edge of the hockey pitch”.
SAP committee chairman Cr Damian Ross suspended meeting orders so councillors could freely debate the matter.
Cr Cameron Grundy suggested 30m was “a fair way away from the infrastructure”.
Cr Crossling agreed and said: “It’s actually 31m.”
Cr Derek James agreed it was “a long way” but explained issues and potential damage to turf from leaf litter, pollen, mould and shading which could also ruin turf.
Cr James referred to his position on the Hockey SA board – it recognised Naracoorte’s hockey field as one of the best in the State.
“You are probably going to need to get more information at the very least if we are going to go ahead and put them in,” Cr James said.
Cr Crossling pointed to other vegetation nearby and said: “I really think 30 metres, or 30-plus metres, on the other side of the walking track is not really going to affect the hockey pitch.”
Cr James highlighted the information available about trees and indicated if there was a problem in the future, the hockey association would be within its rights “to come back to council”.
Cr Julie Earl: “I’m just a bit uncomfortable working on this right now, and do we need to? Can we get some more expert opinion rather than what the hearsay about it (is)? Because I don’t know how to vote.”
Cr Dennis queries staff
Cr Dennis asked Mr Willsmore and Mr Mangarangi: “Will a plane tree have roots 31m from its base?”
Mr Willsmore said the tree planting was based on a recommendation from the council’s botanical working group, and it was “in a large open space where the roots don’t need to be chasing water”.
Cr Dennis: “Is the letter from the whole of the association from a motion of a meeting, or is it simply one president wrote a letter off?”
Mr Willsmore said the letter was from the secretary and he had spoken to the president.
Neither Mr Willsmore nor Cr James knew if a motion underpinned the letter.
CEO Trevor Smart: “We can only take it that the letter is from the hockey association.”
Cr Earl referred to some 10-year-old plane trees and said “they are not huge”.
Cr James said there was no doubt the trees, if planted now, would not cause an issue “for some time”.
Cr Ross called for a vote. Cr Crossling moved that the plane trees be planted, as per the original motion of a year ago.
Cr McGuire seconded it and the motion was carried with Cr James voting against.
At the council’s June 28 meeting the matter arose for rubber stamping.
Cr James once again highlighted the importance of the hockey club’s turf and the potential damage in the future from an avenue of plane trees.
A motion to plant the avenue of plane trees was moved by Cr Craig McGuire, seconded by Cr Cameron Grundy, and carried, with Cr James voting against the motion.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
