Stephen G. Rawson, Sale
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I READ with incredulous disbelief the Gippsland Times article regarding the leaf litter in Desailly St and the desire of some residents to have these beautiful, valuable oak trees removed because of what all trees do naturally, which is drop leaves.
With the existential threat of climate change, this country in serious drought and not to mention the myriad issues worldwide, this is what exercises peoples’ minds.
I am sure many residents living in treeless streets in Sale would love to have this problem of oak trees and leaf litter, particularly on these extremely hot days.
One only has to walk down Macalister St on a crushing, stifling hot day and realise the wonder of trees as the transpirational cooling effect is self-evident, clearly benefitting the surrounding area and the environment in general.
I remember the extraordinary fight to keep these trees as the proposed plan to remove them was hotly contested by the residents who eventually prevailed, despite the determination of some in council to be rid of what they considered to be a nuisance.
Obviously, the property owners in Macalister St place a much higher value on their beautiful streetscape, rightfully calling their street Sale’s premier street.
You only have to look down Desailly St along Brennan Park with the predominately Californian weatherboards enhanced by these avenue of oak trees to observe how beautiful it is and not realise the simmering, serious tensions bubbling beneath this otherwise quiet residential picturesque street.
Perhaps Joni Mitchell’s song is most appropriate for this most taxing of issues – Big Yellow Taxi – because when these trees are gone, they are definitely gone.
