A Walgett Shire Council proposal to remove trees from the Lightning Ridge bore baths has outraged local resident and bore bath user Lisa Carroll.
Ms Carroll said she didn't feel council had a strong enough argument to remove the trees, which it regarded as unsafe,and believed the proposal had been made because it would sit better in council's hip pocket.
"They (council) just don't want to put the effort in to maintaining them," she said.
Ms Carroll said two years ago a variety of 70 trees had been planted at the bore baths grounds by the community, of which only one still remained today.
"The others (planted trees) died because they were not taken care of appropriately."
But she said it was the Athel pines that were being attacked now.
"They don't need to be removed, they just need to be trimmed," she said.
But Ms Carroll said she believed council was worried about the liability they could face if anyone was injured by a falling branch.
Three Athel pines slope at various angles and need to be trimmed back, but Ms Carroll blamed previous handling for their current state.
"If they weren't chopped and hacked at in the beginning this wouldn't have happened, they weren't looked after properly.
Ms Carroll said she believed a lack of maintenance caused the three established pines to be out of control.
Ms Caroll met with council's group manager of infrastructure management, John Burden recently, who told her more trees would be planted in the future, and that council would rather see the trees trimmed and not cut down.
"Mr Burden said council would check the trees in the near future to see if they could be trimmed appropriately," she said.
In the past week three new trees had been planted at the bore baths.
"These new trees are a far cry from adequate shade, and there is no bird life in them because they are too young.
"But there is a variety of different bird species that live in those Athel pines.
"I'd like to see how well these new trees do," she said.
Ms Carroll said the bottom line was that she understood safety was a main factor in the community, but she maintained if the pines were properly trimmed they should be able to stay.
Don and Marlene Jacobson from Gippsland, who have been visiting Lightning Ridge annually for the past three years, said they enjoyed sitting under the Athel pines.
"I think it is ridiculous council wants to remove these trees, it would spoil the bore baths site," Mr Jacobson said.
Meanwhile, Mr Burden said council was looking at ways of trimming and planning and would now trim the pines to a level that would not pose any danger to local residents.
But he said when council started its replanting program there was a strong possibility the Athels would go. "Our arborist said the trees were unsafe and that a branch from any of those pines could easily fall down in wind."
He agreed the trees were part of the bore bath site, but said council's priority was to ensure the dangers were minimised.
"The one (Athel pine) closest to the bore baths is particularly dangerous because there is potential for its roots to start growing underneath the bore bath, which will have an impact on its structure," he said.
"My main concern is the safety aspect."
Mr Burden said the newly planted trees at the bore baths site was not associated with council's replanting program, but part of a beautification project.
Email a friend