Coasters urged to think local - Devonport City Council

ISSN 1039-8503 NEWSLETTER Vol. 15, No.10, October 2007EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SOUGHT FOR"NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET TREE" PLANDevonport City Council is seekingexpressions of Interest fromresidents for a “Street Tree In YourNeighbourhood" programme.A section of the recently adoptedPublic Open Space Guidelinesand Standards included aStreetscape Revitalisation Plan. Itis hoped this Plan will form theframework for the development ofDevonport's annual StreetscapePlanting Programme, which wasundertaken by Council's Parks andGardens Team.The Plan identifies four differentstreetscape classes, which, in mostcases, correlate to the current roadhierarchy.For example, they are main roadthoroughfares (Class 1), secondaryroads (Class 2), Arterial/ collectorroads (Class 3) to neighbourhoodstreets. (Class 4)Class 1 (main roads) is givenhighest priority while Class 4(neighbourhood streets) is giventhe least.As the community wouldappreciate, some people love treesand others despise them. ButDevonport has many roads, all ofwhich require street trees. These,of course, will take Council manyyears to plant out.Council has already determinedthe priority of planting asdiscussed above, although itwould like to give residents,(especially those in Class 4 whichrepresents most of the city), theopportunity to express theirinterest in selecting a street tree.The more suggestions Councilgets from a particular street, themore chance it has of altering itspriorities for planting.Thus, to reduce the time framesfor residents waiting for a streettree, Council's Street and ParkTree Working Group hasdeveloped an expression ofinterest form.This form provides residents withthe opportunity to nominate astreet which they feel should beadded to the Council's alreadydeveloped tree planting priorityschedule.These forms will be reviewed andcollated by the Working Groupand the most popular street orsection of street will be includedin the following year's annualplanting program. Forms may becollected from Council's receptionarea.As the ratepayers of William Street(Fourways Commercial Strip) andOldaker Street (from North FentonStreet intersection to WilliamStreet) already know, DevonportCouncil's Parks and GardensWorks Team has been plantingtrees in those streets during thepast month.A mail out to the ratepayers ofboth streets, informing of them ofCouncil's intentions, was sent outsome time ago and only tworequests were received byCouncil's Parks and GardensTeam Leader for a tree not to beplanted on particular nature strips,The trees selected, were shortlisted from the recommended treelist for Devonport, found in therecently adopted Devonport CityCouncil Public Open SpaceGuidelines.They were Magnolia grandiflora‘Little Gem', Dwarf Magnolia, forWilliam Street and Pyruscalleryana ‘Chanticleer',Ornamental Pear for OldakerStreet.The Magnolia chosen, is a smallstaturedevergreen tree suitable forplanter boxes which has large darkgreen glossy leaves and produces afragrant white flower during springand summer ,The ornamental pear, is the samespecies already planted in theRooke Street Mall.They provide magic autumncolours with a narrow growthhabit, which is ideal for the trafficOldaker Street receives.As a part of the planting process,the existing plantings will beremoved from the William StreetPlanter Boxes, although annualswill be reintroduced once treeplanting has occurred.The existing trees in OldakerStreet will be removed due to theirlateral growth habit, to ensureuniformity within the street. Forenquiries about the plantingprogram please contact Council'sParks and Reserves Team Leaderon 6420 2700.Above: Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer andRight: Magnolia grandiflora “Little Gem"which are being planted out in OldakerStreet and in the Fourways planter boxes.4070869 LMTop Centre Topics October 2007 Page 21