McKinnon chainsaw massacre
14 Sep 11 @ 07:00am by Jessica Bennett
The tree stumps at McKinnon Reserve. SUPPLIED
FURIOUS residents have slammed Glen Eira Council’s decision to cut down 178 cypress trees at McKinnon Reserve, with one local describing the scene as a “tree cemetery”.
Newton Gatoff – who shot the main photos at right with his iPhone – said while homes immediately surrounding the reserve were notified that mature cypresses would be chopped down from August 29, the rest of the local community wasn’t told or given a chance to object.
“Their removal with such haste and lack of general consultation is nothing short of an insult to this community and to Glen Eira’s heritage,” he said.
Glen Eira spokesman Paul Burke said an independent arborist had identified the need to remove the eastern (Tucker Rd) and southern rows of trees. He said the trees were in poor condition with branches falling and had to be felled to “eliminate the risk to people, powerlines and property”.
New trees will be planted later this year, though the species and the exact timeframe are yet to be determined, Mr Burke said.
But Mr Gatoff said if the council had consulted with the community, an appropriate alternative could have been reached.“Everyone I’ve spoken to in my street just can’t believe it,” he said.
“Walking around the reserve is like walking around in a tree cemetery.”
Another resident who contacted the Leader said he had never seen or heard of any branches falling off the trees. He said residents around the park were not given the chance to try to protect the trees. “From a grand park, McKinnon Reserve is now a bare and empty park with only small trees as replacements to the old sturdy cypress trees,” he said.
Glen Eira Debates 
September 14, 2011 at 9:39 AM
It’s impossible to believe much less accept the claim that 178 trees all represented some physical danger to residents. Such a claim begs the question however of why these conditions were permitted to eventuate. If 178 trees were all in poor health then what has council done over the past 10 or so years to attend to these trees? Nothing is the answer. It’s not the first time that residents in this municipality have woken up to discover that trees have been butchered and ripped out without warning and without any attempt to consult and provide solutions other than butchery. The same thing happened in Caulfield Park.
There’s supposed to be a street tree strategy but none of this applies to trees in parks. They are all neglected and many in desperate need of pruning. Council’s approach is nothing short of vandalism. Years of neglect means that millions of dollars have been lost. Hundreds, if not thousands of trees, will go the way of the McKinnon trees. I’m just disgusted that money can be poured into concrete paths but not a penny has been spent on securing the long term future of our park trees through proper maintenance and professional care.
September 14, 2011 at 9:45 AM
The end result should be a vast improvement to the park, and by this I mean, it will need more trees and shrubs planted, that horrible restrictive chain-wire fence seen in the photo removed, and the whole park make welcoming for the public.
For sure this will take a few years to achieve, Parker Park and Mallanbool reserve are great examples of just how quickly and what pleasant results can be achieved.
It is up to council to carry this through ASAP.
September 14, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Glennie you’ve got to be joking – ‘a few years’. This will take decades to have 40 to 60 foot trees grow and with the canopy expanse that these had. Nothing excuses this kind of action to come in and fell 178 trees in one hit. The fence might go but I’d place a bet that it will be replaced by ugly grey concrete. Anonymous called it vandalism and lack of maintenance. He’s correct.
September 14, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Park and reserve trees are expendable in Glen Eira. If it becomes a question of car parks (GESAC) and the loss of a few trees, then car parks win. If the next question is moving sporting ovals because of inadequate planning at the start and sacrificing a few trees, then moving ovals definitely wins (Caulfield Park). If we then have the major comparison of qualified tree surgeons spending perhaps two hours on a 40 year old tree compared to incompetent hackers who can’t tell the difference between a healthy limb and a diseased one having to spend only one hour of getting rid of the entire tree, then obviously the tree goes. Has anyone out there ever seen any trees in our parks being pruned? I don’t include lopping of broken branches in this request, just general shaping and clearing dead wood. I would really love to know if this has ever happened.
September 14, 2011 at 1:56 PM
Everything, everyone has said about this tree removal is fair enough and 90%. spot-on the money. PB finger prints are all over this act of skulduggery, do the dastardly act and weather the storm.
However the park was ugly and uninviting, and these Cypress trees were the backbone of the ugliness. Cypress pine are a desert when it come to supporting bird life etc. They should never have been planted in the first place.
Does anyone know if Council has a landscaping plan for this park?
September 14, 2011 at 9:48 PM
Where I grew up in Booroondara (City of Camberwell before Kennett imposed his ideology) the trees along the street I lived in were nearing the end of their life. The Council developed a plan in which new trees would be planted alongside the old ones, allowed to mature at least to some degree, and then the old ones would be removed. As it happened, they didn’t keep to their plan, so they have struggling trees competing with the elderly mature ones who are all still standing 20 years later. Nevertheless, it sounds like they put a bit more thought into what they were doing than Glen Eira. We’re all used to Paul Burke choosing to give his spin, rather than the real reasons. After all, if safety was a concern, then prompt action would be taken about Queens Ave now that Andrew Newton has revealed how dangerous it is. Yet his recommendation was to do nothing for at least 5 years. BTW what was the verdict from the resident arborist on the Audit Committee concerning the trees?
September 15, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Well done Glen Eira. These trees should have been removed by the sacked Moorabbin Council 50 years ago for a large variety of reasons. Well done Council.