Knox councillor brought to tears in pine tree removal battle

A group of pine trees are set to make way for native vegetation as part of staged removal of the trees, which have been identified as a non-native environmental weed.

Author

Matthew Sims
February 17, 2025

The battle between members of the community and Knox Council over the future of the pine trees at Koolunga Native Reserve is coming to an end this week, with the removal of 14 trees as part of the first stage of planned removals.

Knox Council is starting works this to remove 14 pine trees from Koolunga Native Reserve, due to the trees nearing the end of their lives and being classified as a non-native environmental weed.

Knox Council Chandler Ward councillor Paige Kennett moved the motion as urgent business, often overcome with emotion while speaking to the matter, after a hostile meeting between locals and councillors on Monday February 10.

The motion essentially reduced the amount of trees confirmed to be removed down from the original 70 to 14, with a further report set to come before council before any further decisions on the proposed removal of the trees.

Once part of the Chandler Boronia and Daffodil Farm, which operated from 1898 to 1971, the reserve was acquired by Knox Council in the early 1960s. Council opened the Koolunga Native Reserve in 1967.

Following the removal of this first area of pine trees, council will be undertaking soil remediation, followed by the planting of native vegetation.

It will receive a report no later than July 2028 on the results of this work, before making the decision on whether to proceed with further stages of removals of the remaining pine trees.

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Cr Kennett said her decision to go ahead with the partial removal was still not a decision she made lightly.

 “This motion will not please everyone,” she said.

“I am aware of this, but the divisiveness of the groups and residents have made this an absolutely impossible position.

 “There is not one decision that would make everyone happy. So I've been left to make this motion, which to be honest, I'm very affected by.”

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Knox Council Collier Ward councillor Chris Duncan congratulated Cr Kennett on her extensive research and bravery in bringing a difficult decision to council.

 “We as a council, as a whole, have committed to making decisions based on evidence, and although it may not be the popular decision, the evidence suggests that these trees need to be removed,” he said.

“I think it's a very respectful outcome — will not be the outcome that everybody was after but I believe in good conscience, this is the best we could do of a bad situation, given the time frame that we had.”