DESPITE the cold rain, a group of concerned community members of all ages gathered in Littleton Gardens on Thursday to demand greater consultation over council development projects in public spaces.
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Word quickly spread that the last remaining native eucalypt inside the Gipps St car park would be removed over the weekend to the surprise of many community members.
Councillor Keith Hughes spoke to the gathering of around 50 people and discussed the value the eucalypt adds to the landscape, the issue of insurance and the risks posed by a lack of shade in the gardens if it was removed.
He highlighted skin cancer concerns as opposed to the risk of a falling branch.
“The risk of a branch falling on you is pretty low and that’s why people always park their car in preference under the shade,” he said.
Member of the Friends of Littleton Gardens Jo Dodds told the crowd of her meetings with members of council where they had acknowledged “they had not consulted well” before going ahead with developments.
“I was yelled down by the mayor,” Ms Dodds said after appearing at this week’s council meeting where she claimed she was told by Mayor Michael Britten that she had no right to speak within the forum.
“We have been silenced by the speed of this,” Ms Dodds said.
“There might be nothing we can do to save that tree, but we’ve had no chance to find out.
“This is not the plan that was agreed to by the consultative group.
“We want to save the tree, but I don’t know if we can,” she told the quickly growing crowd and passers-by.
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