The Cairns Regional Council is shaming the city in pursuing a permit to cut back Heritage listed trees by up to a further 25%, at the Cairns City Library. This was carried as a resolution at a Council meeting today, 25 June 2014.
The Council also cut down a Heritage listed tree at the library today, claiming it was diseased. If this is true, it is likely the result of the initial brutal pruning.
Photo by Noel Castley-Wright
For a city relying heavily on a tourism industry that is based on the beauty and diversity of the region’s plants and animals, these are not only shameful actions, but downright stupid.
Council’s own fact sheet on flying foxes states that they are the main pollinators of many native Australian trees and “are vital to the continued survival of many rainforest trees”.
If Council is permitted to continue on this path, this will at the least result in an ugly display of the lack of value we place on a vulnerable species and beautiful old Heritage listed trees. At the worst it will result in the death and removal of the trees and stop many tourists being able to admire our natural environment, or even coming here.
The community is holding a silent protest – 11 am 6th July Cairns Regional Council Library, Check our the Facebook event here.
