Camphors and more
I congratulate Bellingen Shire Councillors for initiating and adopting the Bellingen Main Street master plan and supporting the implementation of stage 1 and 2 of the plan.
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Although I don’t agree with every part of the plan it is a complex area with multiple uses and needs and I feel that the Landscape Architects listened and came up with some good ideas.
The things I am most impressed with the plan are the focus on people and environment rather than cars – something that has been sadly missing in most cities and towns, and the increase in trees and garden beds through our streets.
The corner of Oak and Hyde Streets has been a major safety issue for both pedestrians and vehicles, and the creation of a park will improve this and soften up a very bitumen / concrete dominated area of town. Protection of the beautiful firewheel trees is also good news.
The majority of Church Street and the general Church Street / Hyde Street intersection will be improved through disabled access, more gardens and more seating.
In regards to the camphors – I see an opportunity for some good long-term visioning and increased pride in our main town centre, like the visionaries in Sawtell approximately 75 years ago that planted the Weeping Figs. Although native to Queensland, the figs really make the space.
We have an opportunity to have beautiful advanced / mature local native species through our town centre that are in keeping with our rainforest image and our pride in the environment, rather than just another town dominated by this serious weed.
Yes it is true that camphor laurels dominate many areas within the lowlands of this Shire but there is a lot of work being done to restore our native habitats. The replacement of camphors with more suitable street trees will be a good symbolic gesture towards what we would like to see for our surrounding environment, and actually help restore these adjoining natural areas.
Bellingen Island is one of the last significant patches of Lowland Rainforest left on the Bellingen floodplain. Many 1000s of hours have been spent by volunteers and contractors restoring this rainforest and those adjoining Cemetery Creek and Caratti Creek through Bellingen. Camphor laurel is still one of the most significant weeds that volunteers have to deal with and every bit helps!
So I look forward to an improved Bellingen town centre through the implementation of Stage 1 and 2 of the plan.
Tim Scanlon, Bellingen
Magnificent trees
There is no justification for the destruction of the Church Street camphor laurels. Any planned upgrade of the pavement can proceed without removing the trees and council needs to explain why they chose a landscaping plan that unnecessarily violates the existing one.
They also need to explain why they buried the plan to remove the trees within the larger plan to upgrade Bellingen’s main street. It is difficult not to believe that this furtive behaviour indicates a hidden agenda. Would it have something to do with the fact that residents had already stopped them from destroying the trees five years earlier?
It is extraordinary that a council would be so eager to destroy what makes its town so unique and beautiful that visitors want to come here and residents to keep staying.
So are these magnificent trees now to be sacrificed just to show who makes the decisions around here or that the council isn’t stacked with tree huggers?
Whatever their agenda, these local politicians will long be forgotten and replaced but not so these magnificent trees.
Carmel Darling, Bellingen
Camphor laurels
Sorry, but I don't actually find the Bellingen township's camphor laurels to be that attractive. Whilst I don't mind the shape of a camphor growing in a paddock, it is nothing compared to a native fig tree!
Camphor laurels are a terrible weed. A scourge on the natural environment of the north coast. Over 100,000 fruits per year – either eaten by birds and spread to a forest near you, or they're landing in your pie. Packed with toxic chemicals such as cineole and saffrole, studies have found their leaves to be toxic to fish.
With a very dense shallow root system they are unbelievably competitive to other species. Apart from privets, other species will find it very hard to be able to grow beyond seedling stage.
Whilst they have provided some winter food sources for frugivores such as rainforest pigeons, it leads to the creation of a monoculture where there is an abundance of food for three months and then it becomes a virtual desert for native fauna.
Surely we can do better than this Bellingen!?
Council plans to replace these trees with advanced and more appropriate trees. It would be great to have some native rainforest trees dominating our streets such as the beautiful red cedars planted by Doctor Hewitt in other areas of town.
Thankyou Council for implementing the plan. I for one plan to enjoy the increased shade and plantings that are proposed as part of the plan, and spend my energies fighting real environmental causes of which there are many.
Brian Compton, Hydes Creek
Dear Councillors
You have managed to commit the most destructive act of vandalism our beautiful village has ever had to endure. Shame on you!
Your dismissive attitude towards the pleas of the community majority is an insult to us all.
One wonders how dismissive and cavalier your attitude will be come the next local government elections.
Then you will no option but to accept the pleas of the community majority.