‘Shock’ and anger as palm trees cut down
Residents have expressed outrage over roadside palm trees being torn down on Magnetic Island without authorisation from Townsville City Council.
Tree loppers started their chainsaws on Tuesday night to cut down five large 16-yearold foxtail palms, beautifying the medium strip on Sandals Blvd, Horseshoe Bay.
Angry resident Michael Papas said they were “shocked” to wake up and find the palms gone.
“We’re all furious,” he said. “I can’t believe they didn’t give us any notice at all. “It looks terrible. They should replace them.”
Local real estate expert Cindy Shafer, who worked with developers to plant the palms in 2006, said she heard the chainsaws going until 11pm.
“I cried all day when I realised they were gone,” she said. “We planted them, especially because this is the entrance into our estate here.
I’ve been getting a lot of calls from other neighbours who are also very upset.”
NQ house relocation company Renewable Homes had the trees removed in order to fit a home they were moving down Sandals Blvd.
A spokesperson from the company said they had been planning the move for seven months and the scope of this particular route identified a street light requiring removal.
The spokesman said they organised the removal with Townsville council and Ergon Energy but “for whatever reasons” the pole wasn’t removed in time. “The tough decision was made,” they said.
“It was decided that the foxtail palms would be the best of a worst-case scenario to cut down rather than a Pandamas tree, which are a native and are protected under the Environment Protection Act.”
A Townsville council spokeswoman said they were only made aware of the removal of the palm trees on Wednesday morning.
“The removal of the trees on Tuesday night was not authorised by council and is in breach of council’s Public Tree Management Policy,” she said.