Another tree goes with a developer-friendly decision

Another beautiful angophora tree has been culled from the area adjacent to the railway crossing, opposite Stoney Park, adjacent to the Rawson Rd railway crossing.

This was a landmark tree that stood for many years providing shade and beauty to the neighbourhood.

The tree started dying last year at the time the house was sold to a developer.

It appeared to have been poisoned.

Several people reported this to the Council.

Fortunately, most of the tree was unaffected and in recent months seemed to be thriving.

We believed the damaged branches could have been removed without harming the tree.

A few months later Council sought approval from the neighbours for the building of five villas.

We and other neighbours endorsed the general plan but pointed out our concern for the tree.

Today the tree was removed by a private contractor acting with Council approval.

The workman told us the tree was damaged by lightning, although the tree did not show any signs of this and there had never been a lightning strike reported, nor any action by the SES or Council to protect us.

This time there was no attempt by the Council to notify neighbours.

The loss of the tree adds to the destruction of two other beautiful angophoras that were removed from Stoney Park to build the now infamous (and very costly) Woy Woy pedestrian underpass.

This seems to be yet another case of environmental abuse as a developer-friendly decision being pushed through while the Central Coast lacks a democratically elected Council.

No wonder residents feel they are being done in by the NSW Government.

When will we get our democratic voice on local planning and environment back?

Without local councillors to act for us, we seem to count for nothing.

Email, 18 Apr 2017

Ina Fine, Woy Woy