Newcastle Councillor Bob Cook has ruffled feathers by renewing calls for the Laman Street figs to be cut down.
It’s outraged the Save Our Figs Group, which is now demanding his resignation from a working party.
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Newcastle Councillor Bob Cook has ruffled feathers by renewing calls for the Laman Street figs to be cut down.
It’s outraged the Save Our Figs Group, which is now demanding his resignation from a working party.
I cannot believe Cr Cook couldn’t sit back and be patient and actually engage with the other members of the Working Party on a constructive approach to this manufactured problem.
These trees have decades in them.
We can send cables down the middle of Swan Street and Dumaresq St without wrecking tree roots; why can’t we do that in Laman Street?
The street will look ugly and uninspiring like Tyrrell Street if Council management have their way.
who made Cr Bob Cook spokesman for the Newcastle City Councils Working Party? Did he seek the Woking Party groups permission to run off with his own concept? or is he simply grandstanding & being a mouthpiece for his bias view ? or perhaps he is speaking for stubborn Council Offficers determined to have developments their way? Either way Cr Cook your there to represent your constituents. & So much for a Heritage Cr why dont you google laman st trees anzacs and learn that these “particular” Fig Trees are also a memorial & a big part of our civic heritage!
Councillor Cook’s latest attack is disappointing but not surprising as his opposition to preserving the figs has been at the forefront of his every word and deed since the issue first aired.. Unfortunately his latest diatribe raises questions as to whether he is acting in good faith as a member of the working party, given that the working party was briefed to investigate how best to implement the December 2010 Council resolution and manage the figs from a tree preservation perspective.
Councillor Cook and indeed all Councillors are hereby put on notice that their performance in relation to not only the figs, but all decisions and behaviours that impact on the citizens of Newcastle will be closely scrutinised and harshly judged come the 2012 Council elections.
The people of Newcastle are not fools.
The good faith Councillor Cook is required to demonstrate as a member of the working party is to keep an open mind and reflect the wishes of the people of Newcastle who have fought long and hard on this issue. While not everyone may interested in the fate of the figs, an open mind is required of those entrusted with their future.
The good faith Councillor Cook is required to demonstrate as a member of the working party is to keep an open mind and reflect the wishes of the people of Newcastle who have fought long and hard on this issue. While not everyone may interested in the fate of the figs, an open mind is required of those entrusted with determining their future.
Well done Cr Cook. It’s about time someone with a leadership role in Council showed some courage by acknowledging the detailed and long established facts concerning the instability of the trees in Laman St.
Unlike the naysayers, conspiracy theorists and obfuscates represented by the perpetually cynical C Raschke, Cr Cook’s apolitical solution is set to make a long lived positive contribution to this city’s future.
Pity the Save Our Figs group can’t divert their energies to confronting the disgraceful tree butchery resulting from Energy Australia’s hideous treatment of our street trees.
Three cheers Cr Cook from the children who will reap the rewards of your principled stand. And three boo’s for the obfuscates whose denial of the facts translates as a demand that Council not act until until someone is killed.
Oh, there’s a good idea….the residents of Newcastle should divert their energies to confronting the disgraceful tree butchery of our street trees. How about we start with the Laman st street trees ,before they are butchered!
Did you know that there hasn’t been a person killed by street tree in Australia? Lots killed by people & cars though, daily!
Eighteen months ago, Councillor Cook voted to fell the Laman Street figs and subsequently reiterated his stance when the rescission motions were tabled. His stance on this issue of community concern has been evident throughout.I only recently discovered his membership of the Working Party and was initially staggered given his razing agenda. However, I was prepared to consider that possibly he had decided to proceed with neutrality, given the change of approach of some of his fellow councillors, including that of Lord Mayor Tate. How foolish a hope that an elected representative would consider the strong community desire on this issue. (Check Council’s research on the community feeling). NOW and only NOW the cabling issue is the imperative. There is a powerful stench of mendacity emanating from these recent developments. I was one of the crowd gathered on the steps of the Cultural Centre steps last December, 18th when the Lord Mayor celebrated the retention and future protection of the Laman canopy, describing it as a precinct of fundamental civic significance. There were also statementsmade about the fences coming down within a month. Oh my, the Council elections in March 2012 will be very interesting.
Given the commitment of the community members contributing their valuable time to serve on this working group, along with that of the council officers and councillors – surely Bob Cook put some effort into working with the group to protect these heritage trees loved by the community. The risk associated with these trees can be mitigated through a range of measures – such as the city or garden avenue or gates idea protecting walkers; traffic management; pedestrian management; some selective pruning advised by an arborist; re-landscaping; and improving their growing conditions so the roots develop and hold the trees up strongly. This is what we expected the working group to sort through and deliver: a comprehensive strategy for a way forward – so we can enjoy the ambiance of this special space in our city once again.
Re-route the services which are underground, leave the pipes and wires there, it’s got to be cheaper than $40,000 per tree quoted by council last August. And all the replacement development.
We plant trees to wait for their maturity, why would we remove them with over 15% of their lifespan to go ?
Listen to the people, show some simple commonsense. It takes a big man to admit he’s wrong, or at least look at the issue again, try it Mr. Cook.