It was disappointing to see CCN use part of an SES quote for the front page headline on January 23: “Cut those trees, warns SES”.
Heat is now the most fatal of all natural hazards in Australia, killing more people than fires and floods combined.
The real danger lies in headlines like this, now identified by the most progressive of civic planners as misleading and unhelpful in the desperate fight for more urban canopy.
The Australian Medical Association, Doctors for the Environment, The Cancer Council and numerous other researchers and academics globally are working hard to counter the often irrational fear of trees, which is sadly leading to poor urban planning and magnified heat, killing the most vulnerable.
Advocating for the removal of healthy trees is unscientific, extremely dangerous and contradicts state and local government recommendations.
Policy now calls for at least 40% urban canopy cover.
Many suburbs on the Central Coast have less than 10% and are formally identified urban heat islands.
Tree maintenance is important and removal is sometimes necessary but what experts call for are stories highlighting the vast majority of urban trees which not only stay upright in storms but protect us from heat, provide habitat and ultimately save lives.
Experts also identify a deficit in the community education and council resourcing needed to ensure a huge increase in canopy and an increase created by the right trees in the right locations.
A better front page grab could be “Urban trees save lives! Plant, protect and maintain them and reap the rewards”.
Email, Mar 4
Jennifer Wilder, Grow Urban Shade Trees
Managing Editor: We take your point on the headline Jennifer. Shade trees are a vital asset for our communities and something we have celebrated and will continue to advocate for. However, when a robust institution such as the SES advises some landowners to trim their trees we are obliged to report. You raise an important issue about our increasingly warm local suburbs and we welcome this debate. Thank you for writing to us.