It has been drawn to the community's attention that Launceston Council intends removing three trees to make way for an even larger stormwater pipe than currently exists to divert stormwater eventually envtually to The Tamar eventually.
There are a number of issues that arise here depending upon which trees are proposed to be removed and by extension the stormwater management strategy that brings their potential removal about.
• Firstly, the trees represent, and have, a significant amenity value and especially so in this location. It is acknowledged that the tree will fall behind what council’s planners call the ‘military crest’ and are therefore not protected, nor covered by, the city's skyline protection strategies.
Nonetheless, this arguably dose not diminish these trees’ amenity – at least not for those who live on Trevallyn, who own property near the precinct and recreate in the area.
- Given that the trees are likely to be something between 20 years and 50 years old how might they be replaced – and like for like? Has this been considered?
- Given that this is a much used recreation area, has the amenity been actually considered in planning for their removal?
Council was asked to identify them via a GOOGLEearth snap in order that the community impacted upon by council’s decision can make an informed decision about what they are being asked to approve by implication of the advertisement. This has been done – CLICK HERE
• Secondly, why is it that it is believed that an even larger stormwater pipe is in fact required or indeed appropriate and ‘best practice’?
It is now a quite well understood, a widely held belief that in urban situation it is important to “return stormwater to the landscape” via swales, rain gardens, retention basins, etc. in order to slow the pace of water flows across urban landscapes.
Indeed, in Launceston, given the current state of the river, retuning the water to the landscape would be an appropriate strategy to investigate and possibly implement in this case – once all the facts are in hand.
Piping stormwater, untreated stormwater, into the river is as it turns out is a totally inappropriate and somewhat dodgy strategy and one that has exasperated the pollution levels in The Tamar over time.
If The Tamar is ever to become a clean waterway mindlessly consigning untreated stormwater into it must stop!
It may seem a small thing in this instance but sometime we, as a community, need to start somewhere in order to be good environmental managers. Why not here? Why not now?
Quite possibly it may well turn out that retuning stormwater to the landscape would be an economic and sustainable alternative to the current plan. Let's see the plan!
Is there any possibility at all that council might consider such a strategy even as a demonstration project? Well, that question is being put to Council officers right now!
Launceston really does need to manage its stormwater much much better and it seems that this site may well present an opportunity for council to demonstrate its environmental concerns and credentials PLUS earn for itself some ‘street creds’.
The community has presented these concerns and people are looking forward to Council's response with considerable interest.
