TREE-MENDOUS IDEA

IN recent weeks many Queenslanders have been experiencing extreme, damaging weather events. And warnings have been issued that more are to come this season.

Here in Cairns we have already experienced severe heat conditions

(34C), yet vast areas around the Cairns and Far North Queensland lack tree coverage. I refer in particular to the main roads running north and south out of Cairns, especially along the Cook Highway from the airport out to and beyond Smithfield, including the roads to the beaches and up to Ellis Beach.

Roadworks along those roadways have been in progress for longer than two years. The long bitumen strips look and feel hot. The volume of motor traffic is

always congested. Yet there is a very simple solution to ameliorating the heat, and consequent severe weather, as North Queenslanders have known for years.

The answer is trees. Cairns communities could make life in the Tropics so much more comfortable for themselves by simply planting large shade trees on the median strips. Apart from cooling the immediate areas, trees are known to absorb pollutants thus further ensuring our comfort, as well as that of other life, such as birds and small animals.

The big question is, what happened to the trees?

Pat O’Shane, Holloways Beach