Residents in Perth’s south have been left distressed after trees were axed at Fremantle’s largest recreation and sporting open space on Tuesday.
Locals have been in a two-year long battle with the City of Fremantle over plans to remove 29 trees — including six historic Norfolk pines — from Hilton Park, claiming the axing would cause the “most significant loss to Fremantle’s tree canopy in 70 years”.
While the plans had initially been stalled following the delivery of a petition with 600 signatures to the City, a special meeting in September saw the council vote 8-0 to proceed with the first stage.
Residents observed a fence going up around the reserve on Monday, with locals suddenly informed that tree removals would be commencing the next day.
A group of residents gathered in protest at the Fremantle site on Tuesday morning, with the organiser of the cohort calling on the community to “stop the carnage”.
Another resident was left “bawling her eyes out” after spotting one of the pine trees being chopped.
Vision captured by distraught locals showed limbs from a towering Norfolk pine tree being axed by a worker in a boom lift.
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“They’re taking away our history — past residents are turning in their grave,” one unhappy resident shared.
Others have expressed concern about the redevelopment going ahead despite overwhelming community criticism.
“Why have a special electors meeting if we, the community, don’t get heard and have our wishes met?” one Fremantle local said.
“That’s not a democracy — it’s just horrendous.”
Former council candidate Mark Woodcock publicly called the removal a “decimation facing our local green space”.
“Claiming this plan supports the natural environment while backing recreation development is a contradiction,” he said in a public statement.
“You can’t bulldoze or heavily industrialise established public open space (parks) and claim it is an environmental win.”
Criticism about the plans have spread far beyond Fremantle, however, with a Stirling councillor joining the chorus of voices criticising the move.
Councillor Lisa Thornton was one of many angered Sandgropers to share their feelings on the removal, with the Stirling member calling the axings a “tragedy”.
“In this current canopy crisis we should be doing everything we can to retain mature trees,” she said.
In a special council meeting held just two weeks after the plan was stalled, the council promised to plant “a minimum of 61” native trees to replace the lost canopy — with the council stating this will “strengthen the site’s long-term native canopy”.
“A primary objective is to maximise tree planting, canopy coverage and vegetation extent across the park,” a plan by the council said.
PerthNow reached out to the City of Fremantle for further comment on Tuesday’s protests, but were directed to the Hilton Reserve Masterplan.