WA’s greenest city turns red at the prospect of a cherished century-old tree being chopped down
Fremantle’s famously green community is struggling to fathom why, in the middle of record-breaking heatwave and against the advice of its own staff, the council gave the go-ahead for the destruction of a magisterial 130-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree.
Braving yesterday’s heat and on-rushing lunchtime traffic, about 150 locals gathered in front of a private property on the corner of High and Parry streets to vent their anger and disgust at the prospect of the destruction of what one historian called the port city’s “most significant tree”.
The owner is trying to sell her land and believes the tree is standing in her way.Credit: Mark Naglazas
“It’s infuriating,” said Hamilton Hill resident Ric Cairns, who believed the council’s decision to drop the Moreton Bay fig from its significant tree register was further proof that governments still did not get the seriousness of what was happening to the planet.
“Last year was the hottest year on record, and this year is smashing last year. Lives are literally going to depend on our urban tree canopy in the years ahead — and while we’re pushing we can’t afford to go backwards.
“It seems to me that private property owners now have a duty to their community to protect grand old trees like this one, just as they do heritage buildings. And laws should reflect that.”
While climate change activists were out in force, the fight to save a tree that dated back to before the Gold Rush era was being led by Fremantle’s energetic, politically engaged design community.
They believed there was a design-led solution to the stand-off between the owners of the property on which the tree sat, and those who wanted to preserve and expand urban canopy.
“We completely understand the desire of the owners to sell the property and maximise profits. But with clever design the tree can be maintained and the commercial demands met,” DesignFreo’s Rebecca Clarkson said during the demonstration.
“There are plenty of great examples of trees being saved by being incorporated into the designs of buildings, such as the trees in the Fremantle Library. I’m sure something similar can be achieved here.”
Fremantle architect Dimmity Walker said that far from devaluing a property a tree as magisterial as the Moreton Bay fig in the firing line should be regarded as a valuable asset.
The tree is more than 100 years old.Credit: Mark Naglazas
“Money can’t buy a tree like this. Good architects are entirely capable of working with and around trees,” said Walker, who recently had discussions with the city about granting whoever owns the building rear access to save the tree, which sits at the front of the property.
The battle to save the Moreton Bay fig was sparked when the landowner, Pamela Cattalini, made a submission to the council at their Valentine Day’s meeting to have it struck from the City of Fremantle’s significant tree register.
Cattalini told the council that she had been trying to sell the 2000-square-metre property for several years. She said it had proved difficult to find a buyer because the presence of the tree made development of the site difficult.
Cattalini also claimed she had not given permission for the tree to be put on the register, which Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge has cited as the reason why the council voted to allow the fig to be dropped from the list.
“It is fairly well accepted and considered one of the most challenging aspects of canopy policy, that if landowners hold concerns that trees on their property may no longer be under their control, then the risk is that they don’t plant large trees, worse still, they preemptively remove significant trees,” Fitzhardinge said yesterday.
But Hilton Ward representative Ben Lawver, one of two Fremantle councillors (along with North Ward member Doug Thompson) to oppose dropping the tree from the register, claimed Cattlini was being disingenuous about not wishing to have her tree protected.
“I have just received advice that there was no objection from the landowner when this tree was first placed on the Heritage Register in 2000,” Lawver wrote on Facebook hours after the demonstration.
“There was no objection from the landowner when it was placed on a different list in 2008. There was also no objection from the landowner in 2019 when this 130-year-old Moreton Bay Fig tree was moved to the Significant Tree Register. The only thing that has changed is this piece of land is now for sale.”
Lawver, like the design community who were out in force for the protest, also believed that with a bit of imagination and goodwill there was a way to save the tree.
Around 150 people gathered to try and protect the tree.Credit: Mark Naglazas
“We need to look at other solutions, such as a land swap between the City and the owner. We could give a little bit of the nearby Queen’s Park, so there would be better access to the property for future development.”
While Fremantle is famous for its community pushback against unpalatable government and commercial decisions, the speed at which yesterday’s protest came together (along with 8200 people who signed a petition) surprised even veteran green activist Brad Pettitt.
“That’s a lot of people who’ve come out for a single tree. No doubt the record temperatures has had something to do with it,” the former mayor and Greens member for South Metropolitan told WAtoday.
“I’m a big supporter of the current Fremantle council, but this is one of the rare occasions they got it wrong. They did this because I believe they were acting on wrong information.”
Even though the decision meant that the owner could bring in the bulldozer tomorrow, the feeling among the protestors was that it was easily rescinded and there were several enticing alternative scenarios.
“I see it as a win-win situation,” Pettitt said. “There is plenty of land behind the property, which would allow for an exciting new development as well as save the tree.
“All it takes is good design and the right incentives.”
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