Replacement Trees for Earlwood Shops

Wolli Possum was disconsolate to learn that Canterbury Bankstown Council plans to chop down 15 fig trees near Earlwood shops. But never fear! Council offered us a choice of replacement trees: Crepe Myrtles or natives? And if natives, then Tuckeroo or Ivory Curl?

Possums prefer natives of course, but why so few options when there are 15 trees? And why choose Tuckeroo? It’s not a local species, and it can spread to the Regional Park. Possum pointed this out to the Council in response to its Have Your Say feedback form.

Possum has since learned that the Council decided to replace all the figs with Tuckeroos. The news arrived as Possum was wading through the Council’s draft Urban Bushland and Biodiversity Strategic Plan. This is a 55-page epic poem to biodiversity, promoting “Council’s responsibility to enhance our natural environment through conservation of biodiversity” (p. 6) and its intention to “incorporate locally indigenous species in plant schedules” (p. 34).

WTF?!