Angry Fremantle Locals Fight to Save 2 Century-Old Pines from Pedestrian Crossing

The Community Fights Back

The City of Fremantle has proposed the removal of two century-old Norfolk pines at a busy intersection in Fremantle, sparking outrage among locals. The trees, which have stood for over a century, are set to be cut down to make way for a pedestrian crossing. But the community is not going down without a fight.

A month-long community survey has wrapped up, and residents have shown overwhelming opposition to the plan. Local resident Marie Jeffrey told 9 News Perth she couldn't believe the council was considering removing the old pines. "It is absolutely sacrilege to remove such beautiful trees," she said. Danielle Bayard, also a Fremantle resident, echoed similar sentiments. "Having a crossing of some sort obviously helps for pedestrian safety and to manage the speed of the cars, but I just think taking the trees out is unnecessary," she said.

A Hard Decision

The proposal to remove the trees has been described as a "hard decision" by Councillor Jemima Williamson-Wong. She acknowledged that keeping the trees could result in accidents, but said the community's concerns were valid. "The big elephant in the room in this proposal is that we are looking at removing two trees, and that's not a decision that I take lightly," she said. "It's a very good example of a hard decision that sometimes we are asked to make because yes, it will be very sad to lose two of those big Norfolk pines."

A Possible Alternative

Councillor Andrew Sullivan proposed amendments to incorporate on-road cycling paths, which could result in the removal of the median strip anyway. Sullivan said it was not practical to have a dual-use path running off the road along Douro Road. "The only way you can successfully get that through this section, where the crossing is ..., is if the majority of the median strip is lost, so that cycle lanes can be put on the edges without knocking the trees down on the verges, which are even more significant than the two trees that we're talking about in the median strip," he said.

The Future of the Trees

The City of Fremantle has yet to make a decision on the proposal. Councillor Williamson-Wong has promised to consider the community's feedback in the coming months. The fate of the two century-old Norfolk pines hangs in the balance, and only time will tell if the community's efforts will be successful in saving them.

"It is absolutely sacrilege to remove such beautiful trees," Marie Jeffrey said.