Name electorate after Lionel Rose

As there is to be a realignment of electoral boundaries it seems to be an opportune time to re-name the Gippsland electorate with a name that is not hurtful to a significant group of people.

Apparently it needs to be a name of a notable citizen. How about the name Lionel Rose as a name that might be more universally accepted than the present name.

It would be interesting to have more people coming up with some positive suggestions.

Joan McColl, Drouin and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Their root systems absorb run off, reducing erosion.

Street trees provide shade and in so doing they reduce the urban heat island effect and lower energy costs.

Their shade even reduced road maintenance expenses.

Treed suburbs and towns are healthy places in which to live.

Trees absorb huge quantities of atmospheric pollutants - vehicle exhaust gases, industrial emissions etc.

Research proves that medical costs are lower as are crime rates, in urban streets with healthy tree cover.

Property values are higher in treed streets. real estate agents will often advise that ti increase your property value plant a tree.

And, trees of course provide valuable terrain for many of our valuable wildlife species that are under ever increasing threat due to loss of habitat.

Trees do fall down and limbs drop - they are a risk to our safety and well being. Just how much of a risk is difficult to determine but driving a car, riding a bicycle, crossing the road, smoking, even some genetic dispositions are far, far higher risks to our life span than are trees.

I say, let’s celebrate Drouin’s beautiful treescapes, not condemn them.

Peter Ware, Drouin living things they will need ongoing maintenance to keep them in best condition.

But in terms of the economic value they contribute (cool roads so less cost to maintain, cool houses so less power costs in summer, promote walking and healthy lifestyle because they are lovely to walk under, produce oxygen, absorb carbon and nitrous oxides improving air quality, and water filtration to name a few), they have more than earned their keep in terms of maintenance. Their leaves are terrific for garden mulch! We are very sorry that someone who lives there doesn’t like them.

Perhaps there needs to be greater consideration now about the best trees to plant as street trees, but we believe that council do give this a great deal of thought.

We think that Drouin is a beautiful town because of its trees both remnant and planted. We are forever grateful to the Buln Buln Shire staff who had the foresight to plant the trees we enjoy today.

It is a shame that many of the trees have had to suffer the indignity of massive pruning for powerlines but this is an outcome from the Victorian Bushfire Commission and at the time of planting this could not have been foreseen.

Ideally the power lines should be underground. Given this is unlikely, maybe the ugly trees which they have become, could be removed for an alternative smaller tree.

There are many newer developments in Drouin with no trees and no space to plant one in a front or back garden. These developments are like ‘hot boxes’ in summer and unattractive at every other season of the year. I guess they provide a choice for anyone who doesn’t like trees and wants to live somewhere without them.

But for us, we love our treed town and are forever grateful for the remaining remnant trees and living planted treasures.

John and Judy Farmer, Drouin