A Newcastle councillor has come under fire for distributing an email regarding the Laman Street figs.
Aaron Buman says he just wanted to gauge public support for the issue, but the Save Our Figs group argues it’s push polling.
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A Newcastle councillor has come under fire for distributing an email regarding the Laman Street figs.
Aaron Buman says he just wanted to gauge public support for the issue, but the Save Our Figs group argues it’s push polling.
I am appalled at the lack of ethics displayed by Aaron Buman in taking names form the petition list, contacting signers, and asking for a review of their position.
This is a fair reflection of the character of this councillor and should bother all of his constituants.
Mr Buman in my opinion is really out of line with this latest stunt. Im sure when petitioners gave their details to NCC it was not for Mr Bumans personal use. Is this actually legal? What did he hope to achieve? Was he planning to change his position if they all replied YES? surely he was never going to contact all 11,000 plus petitioners. How ludicrous to assume that if you didnt reply to him he would take that as a NO,” you no longer support retaining the trees”? How absolutely ridiculous.I imagine a lot of the emails may have gone directly to petitioners junk folders anyway. This bloke constantly amazes me with his whacky & offensive conduct.
Does this councillor have literally no sense of what is right or wrong? I find this latest alarming in the extreme. It is just the latest stunt from a man who seems to believe he is in charge of this city. I do hope that voters, both those who support the retention of the figs and those who are ambivalent, have at least become more aware of the problems Newcastle Council has making any clear and rational decisions with councillors behaving in this uncouth and underhanded manner. This latest Buman stunt ( and there’s been so many) is fairly indicative of the behavior and attitude of those councillors intent on the destruction of the Newcastle asset which should be listed and protected not destroyed on a whim.
How dare Aaron Buman question by integrity on this issue. Some people are not as fickle as others.
Not impressed.
People signed that petition in good faith. I certainly did not expect to get my alliance questioned by someone like Aaron Buman.
If Cr Buman’s far from scientific conclusion (90 people sampled out of 10,000) is an example of how the Council and councillors carry out research and make decisions, no wonder that this matter and others have turned into a circus. Why not take up the offer of free testing of the figs by people who are actually qualified to give clear and impartial advice, rather than this haphazard and illogical way of going about the issue?
Buman, needs to step down from his position as councillor. He does not have the bests interests of the people of this city at heart. His continual unethical conduct is shameful. He is an embarrassment to this town.
Councillors have been given a mountain of evidence to support the need to remove the fig vines.
However, only the independents are able to make the correct judgement to remove and replace, free of urging from their political masters.
These independents are up against a very politically astute and increasingly bitter group of largely irresponsible people, who are more interested in garnering support for Greens and Labor Left (Cooks Hill / Newcastle Teachers Fed. Branch) with the next council election than the trees which, of course, are simply a means to try and destroy independent, capable councillors.
This is a nasty fight.
How about some vision of a fully mature fig tree, complete with aerial roots, for tonight’s News Bulletin?? There are some near VonBertouch’s in Laman St with the starter roots, but you may be able to get footage from parks.
This will show how grotesquely misshapen the Laman St figs ar, and why they are unsafe!
I am not a Green nor a Labour leftist, but I support anybody who wants to keep the trees in Laman Street. I walk under those figs every day and KNOW that what those in favour of killing the trees want has NOTHING to do with the trees being dangerous. Those trees are far less dangerous than the councillors who have voted for the chop.
The real reasons for getting rid of the Laman Street figs are NOT about safety. As usual, they are about supporting developers who want to get rid of the trees so they can build to their own content and make profits.
And we always end up paying.
Vote for the figs!!!!
Frank there was a council resolution carried in Dec 2010 that the Laman st Fig trees( vines) have their aerial roots encouraged & supported ( instead of being constantly cut off) however NCC officers didnt see the actioning of that as a priority. Almost as if it wasnt part of THEIR redevelopment plans.