This coastal council planted seven trees, then ripped them out. Now, they’re going back in

Five juvenile Norfolk Island pines will be replanted along Cottesloe’s coastline in the coming days, almost two months after they were originally planted and then removed.

Councillors in the local government in Perth’s affluent western suburbs voted unanimously on Tuesday night to permanently replant five of seven pines that were originally planted in June.

The seven trees were removed after locals who were concerned about their future views being impeded complained to the town.

At Tuesday’s night’s council meeting, Cottesloe Mayor Melissa Harkins said a large portion of the community responded to public consultation on the replanting.

“The community had a strong say in this decision, and the message from the survey was clear: the large majority of respondents support the permanent planting of the trees,” Harkins said.

“It’s encouraging to see such strong interest in the future of the Marine Parade foreshore and broad support for increasing tree canopy in our community.

These Norfolk Island pines will provide much-needed shade, add to Cottesloe’s unique coastal character, and help grow Cottesloe’s urban forest for future generations.”

The cost of the debacle was not revealed at Tuesday night’s meeting, only that the process remained within budget for the project.

In May, the seven Norfolk Pines were set to be planted along Marine Terrace between Vera View and North Street as part of the town’s annual tree planting program and the Marine Parade Shared Path Project.

After sending out notification letters to nearby residents and hearing no objections, the town went ahead with the planting in June – only to be met with immediate backlash.

The town then “carefully removed” the seven pines on July 31, putting the plants in temporary storage to allow for broader community consultation.

“Consistent with the requirements of the Town’s Beach Policy, consultation with residents opposite the site was carried out prior to the seven trees being planted,” a report to council ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting read.

“No responses were received from recipients of the notification letters in the days following the distribution and objections were only received after the trees were planted.

“After the Town became aware of the objections, the seven trees were removed, carefully relocated, and a district-wide public consultation was undertaken. An overwhelming number of submissions have been received.”