Right path for Avenue of Honour

COMMONSENSE appears to have prevailed in the debate over Narre Warren North’s Avenue of Honour.
Plans to build a shopping facility and a housing estate at Narre Warren North were, I thought, settled two or three years ago although the idea did not suit everyone.
No doubt some opposition to the new facility came from people with vested interests and some support for the facility also came from vested interest.
There is nothing wrong with that because we all have to battle for our slice of what is on offer or to save what we have.
However, the treasured Narre Warren North Avenue of Honour ultimately became the focal point of discussion during a revamped community debate about the development.
This debate was healthy because it meant the community would ‘arc up’ whenever trees in the avenue came under threat and it meant that people cared about their community.
Also, the development will provide housing and a goodsized shopping facility.
History shows that for some reason a space was left in the row of trees that made up the Avenue of Honour and the developer chose this gap for ingress and egress to the new precinct.
Perhaps nearly a century ago two trees may have succumbed to the elements or there may have been a gateway through the avenue into the property left during the initial planting process.
Who knows?
It seemed, however, that no evidence existed of trees having matured on those two spots so the gate remained open for many years without much thought from anyone.
Resident and community worker Bob Street took it upon himself seven or eight years ago to grow two trees from acorns taken from the avenue and these closed that gap.
The question is whether or not the two trees become part of the heritage that makes up the Avenue of Honour.
Arguments existed to say they did and arguments existed to say they did not so the community, including the council, was faced with making a subjective decision.
The result was that the two well advanced trees would be moved.
Bob, who surely has a right to protect the two trees, and the developer, who has a right to a way in and out of the precinct, have agreed on a compromise to move the trees 15 metres into the development site.
They are to be the first of another avenue of oaks leading toward the shopping centre.
Former City of Berwick engineer Max Pawsey and his staff developed a highly successful, albeit costly, method of relocating large trees so I see little problem with these trees being successfully moved.
The question of whether or not we permit development inside the urban growth boundary has been long decided in favour of development.
In view of this, the development must go ahead, but it is a matter of how this is done.
It seems to me that by residents talking through the problem and making compromises the Narre Warren North issue was resolved.
I hope the end result is that all parties involved find a satisfactory result.