By Denise Sharon Cahill, Western Suburbs Weekly
MOSMAN Park Mayor Ron Norris’ prediction of an onslaught of support for Ecoscape’s draft plan for Garanup Park has come true.
Mr Norris said that as of last Tuesday, the council had received 48 comments – 35 for and 13 against – about a proposal to plant about 15 trees between the Swan River and Minim Cove houses as part of an overall rehabilitation plan for the area.
He said residents who supported the plan had realised that the council wanted to embrace the Ecoscape draft but could not if so many residents opposed it.
“The public comment period has allowed people in support of the trees to express their views,” Mr Norris said.
More than 70 Minim Cove residents submitted a 17-page submission against the inclusion of so many tall trees along the river, to the council last month, claiming the current draft plan would inhibit views and decrease property values in the area.
Resident Bert Reuter said a comment at the recent council meeting that the existing draft would only affect about 5 per cent of views for Minim Cove residents was incorrect.
He said Minim Cove residents were fighting a war similar to the one fought by residents near Bay View Park, whose views were interrupted by trees until a management plan accepted last year had the trees replaced with lower shrubs.
Mr Norris said the Bay View Management Plan was completely different to Garanup Park because it involved removing dead foliage and replacing it with native shrubs.