Plant, pull, repeat: Cottesloe council to vote on replacing uprooted Norfolk Pines

A row of juvenile Norfolk Pines were planted along Cottesloe’s coastline, only to be ripped up by the local council a month later because residents were concerned about their future views being impeded.Now the Town of Cottesloe council is poised to vote to replant them at ratepayers’ expense, as they believe the concerns raised by locals “do not warrant the exclusion of tree planting from the site altogether”.The Norfolk Pines are to be replanted along Marine Parade between Vera View and North Street in Cottesloe.In May, seven Norfolk Pines were set to be planted along Marine Terrace between Vera View and North Street as part of the Town’s annual tree planting program and Marine Parade Shared Path Project.After sending out notification letters to nearby residents and hearing no objections, the Town went ahead with the planting in June – only to be met with immediate backlash from locals.The town then “carefully removed” the seven pines on July 31, putting the plants in temporary storage to allow for broader community consultation.“Consistent with the requirements of the Town’s Beach Policy, consultation with residents opposite the site was carried out prior to the seven trees being planted,” a report to council ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting reads.“No responses were received from recipients of the notification letters in the days following the distribution and objections were only received after the trees were planted.“After the Town became aware of the objections, the seven trees were removed, carefully relocated, and a district-wide public consultation was undertaken. An overwhelming number of submissions have been received.”The consultation ran from August 5 to 19 and saw 632 people respond, with 466 in favour of the planting, 157 objections, and nine unsure about the plans.The main concerns raised against the tree planting included the need to maintain low vegetation along Marine Parade to preserve coastal views, sight lines and public safety outcomes.“While some submitters questioned why this location was selected in preference to other areas of the Town, the Administration notes that the proposal forms part of an ongoing annual planting program and is intended to address an identified gap within an existing avenue planting arrangement,” the report said.“It is considered that affected persons have been given a reasonable opportunity to be informed, make submissions and have those submissions considered by Council before a final decision is made.“While concerns raised by submitters regarding views, open space, procedural fairness and safety are acknowledged, the evidence before Council indicates that these matters can be appropriately managed and do not warrant the exclusion of tree planting from the site altogether.”Town officers are now recommending council support the replanting of five out of the seven pines – which they say are synonymous with Cottesloe’s identity, and will be spaced 16 metres apart.The motion will be voted on at the Town of Cottesloe’s ordinary council meeting on Tuesday night.“This approach provides a balanced, policy-consistent outcome that appropriately responds to both community feedback and Council’s adopted objectives for urban greening,” the report reads.From our partners