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Keeping Randwick's Trees remains an independent community initiative that was created in response to the approved removal of over 400 trees in Randwick for a Light Rail that
could have been designed otherwise. Many of our historic trees seen only as 'removable' were actually listed as 'exceptionally significant' (on both the local & metropolitan scales). This alone should have granted them protection, but it did not.
We sought to raise awareness & inspire positive engagement, encouraging people to express how much they loved life with our threatened trees. Now, after already having lost so much, there are touts about 'Greening Sydney's Light Rail route'. But unfortunately, they are disingenuous. Despite media attention and other recent community efforts,
Transport Minister Andrew Constance is pressing on regardless. Others in power also refuse to stand up to him for our trees (as much as they might try to convince you otherwise). We are losing our trees and all that comes with them.
But we won't lose ourselves. We are not buying into the quickly popular idea of a "war on trees”.
As heartbroken as we are, and as much as feel ignored & brushed aside, we just don’t agree that it is a constructive way to go about things. We believe that if we accuse “them” of declaring war, they’re only further encouraged to refer to people who care about trees as “Greenie-Nazis” among other things (and no, we couldn’t have made that up - our local government representative actually uttered that term). Wars only continue to divide.
In our minds, the “fight” is for the protection of established trees to enjoy its rightful place on the agenda, no matter what or whose agenda it is. But we urge you to stay true to yourselves. Do your own research, trust your own feelings & make up your own minds. Just remember that there are endless ways to be involved.
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