Another old draft post completed.
There is a Melbourne local government area called Glen Eira. It is one of Melbourne's expensive south eastern suburbs and a rather nice area to live. It has a high Jewish population and in some parts a high Indian immigrant population.
Long have I known it has the least amount of parkland of any local government area in Greater Melbourne, however unlike Melbourne's western and north western suburbs, it in common with most of the inner to middle eastern to south eastern suburbs, had good tree cover, known as one of the 'leafy green suburbs'.
Truly disturbing, there has been a reduction of of tree canopy covering in the local government area of roughly, between 2010 and 2020, half. Like 50%. No doubt this is a result of older houses with large gardens and trees, being demolished and the resulting blocks of land covered with housing and paving, almost edge to edge, without room for large trees.
Yes, we need higher density in these spacious areas to cater for population growth, rather than expanding the outer areas, but it really needs to better managed. Many free standing houses fit for a family are demolished for luxury apartments for wealthy older downsizers and cashed up Asian immigrants. The area of land probably houses no more people, in spite of the land being covered over and trees cut down.
As long as historic areas are respected, the state government is doing the right thing with higher rise buildings near train stations. But allowing tree cover to be so reduced is not the right thing. This also applies to City of Stonnington, City of Boroondara and a couple of other local areas too.
.jpg)
.jpg)
I’ve planted one tree….i have four saplings to go, I WILL plant them
ReplyDeleteEvery tree helps, John.
DeleteSnap. The same issues are prevalent here.
ReplyDeleteEC, as the comments come in, it clearly isn't only a local problem.
DeleteI must stop chopping down our trees 🥺
ReplyDeleteI have no issue with the trees you've removed, JayCee.
DeleteWhile I understand the need for higher density housing, I don't enjoy high-rise buildings due to concerns about poor construction quality, unethical development practices, and the often dodgy body corporate fees and rules that come with them.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, I am very happy living in the high rise building I've lived in for the last 23 years. It is a well built building and is well maintained and updated. However, I would be very wary about buying into a new high rise building now. Even expert inspectors can't see inside walls or under tiles to see what may be wrong.
DeleteThe area where I live in Adelaide, has magnificent trees and parklands 200 metres from our house. . We have Manchurian pear trees lining our streets and is summer it is glorious. The leaves in autumn are glorious until they fall and then for a month the rake comes out . A small price to pay for 7 months of glorious
ReplyDeleteI do like those pear trees. They were planted in the street where we last lived just before we moved, so we never saw them in bloom. I think raking up leaves is fairly optional, and also quite therapeutic.
DeleteOne day they'll run out of trees to chop down, and then what?
ReplyDeleteKirk, fortunately trees are a renewable recourse, and plenty are planted. Mass jungle clearing can't be compensated for.
DeleteAround here developers have caught on that people are receptive to keeping old trees and felling only enough for streets and walkways. Sales are good when they don't raze the land first.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know Boud. I think there is a realisation here happening. Thanks.
DeleteThe density of replacement housing is a crisis everywhere with old growth trees being demolished. They are battling here for one such planned structure to include the trees. H'm.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, there must be a way to include old established trees in developments, even if it means less profit.
DeleteI'm reminded of several large blocks around here that once each held a home with gardens and trees and now hold townhouses packed in so tight with no green spaces at all, not even grass. Even where I live several large pine trees have been removed because of the "nuisance" that comes with falling leaves, limbs and of course those so-messy sulphur crested cockatoos with their noise, their poop and their habit of dropping half eaten pinecones etc.
ReplyDeleteRiver, pine trees are probably not appropriate and aside from cockies, I doubt too many other species of anything like them.
DeleteThese modern developments without water absorbing gardens and grass greatly increase run off into stormwater drains and naturally, flooding.
Although I live in the Glen Eira Municipality, I was actually thinking about the same issue of overcrowding in Prahran. I know that families don't necessarily want to live in Melbourne's outer outer suburbs. But adding 283045870324902301 flats in one block in Prahran seems way too much (excuse the exaggeration).
ReplyDeleteMultiply by two, three or four people per flat and that's a LOT of people. Practically a small town just on one block!
DeleteHels, Prahran is and has always been quite densely populated, yet the population has increased with some high rise developments. Its public transport infrastructure being so good makes it an attractive place to live.
DeleteIt seems to be a worldwide problem. Builders and developers produce persuasive plans, but all too often don't deliver them. We need our trees and our green spaces.
ReplyDeleteJB, it is up to our governments to ensure adequate green space. England in my experience is a bit different in that it does have very intensively populated residential areas, but so much parkland and countryside nearby. Obviously not London.
DeleteIn urban areas, healthy trees are a valuable asset that should not be removed for whimsical or greedy financial reasons. SAVE THE TREES! Perhaps you could get a T-shirt made with that slogan on the front and walk around Glen Eira with a placard, chanting the same slogan.
ReplyDeleteYP, I think Save the Trees may have already been done. Such a protest though, would not be a bad thing. Just to make people aware. A QR code would be needed on the tee shirt for further information.
DeleteIt's such a shame there is a lack of trees, trees just make a place in my opinion, soften the area and so good for the environment.
ReplyDeleteTick and tick, Margaret.
DeleteWe are getting sprawling type growth. The towns were once distinct, but now almost connected with housing along the highways. I'm a very small town raised person (less than 4000 people where I grew up) so this is all very claustrophobic to me. They say the birth rate is falling in the US, so where do all these new people moving here come from, I think. Well, mostly from California.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, where my mother lived was a country town, over an hour's drive from the city. It is now almost completely joined to the city now by housing. We are all on the same sinking ship because there are just too many of us.
DeleteSo true, Andrew. Mother Nature is already rebelling about the treatment of her planet. Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteSandra, with some record average summer temperatures, unprecedented flooding, beaches washing away...she already has it in for us.
DeleteIt's true. Birds and wildlife rely on those trees.
ReplyDeleteSteve, especially the older trees with hollows for nesting. Also our native birds are being threatened by imported species.
DeleteYes, even Honolulu will get its Transit oriented development loosening of certain density rules as our train moves into Honolulu proper. Quite an interesting process seeing an entire new aerial tramway built!
ReplyDeleteCloudia, I did read about your new light rail, and I found it disappointing, mostly from the point of poor design and poor management.
DeleteMore tree cover is always desirable!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Australia is adding many more trees than those that are lost, but not in city areas.
Delete