WHEN Norfolk Island hibiscus trees were planted in Port Fairy’s Campbell Street in 1966, Dennis Lemke helped them survive by keeping cattle away from the young trees.
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With hindsight, Mr Lemke regrets that act of civic altruism because the mature trees are now the cause of allergic reactions among his relatives and neighbours.
He was among Port Fairy residents who applauded Moyne Shire Council’s decision to remove six trees, including four of the hibiscus, from the north side of Campbell Street, west of the Earle Street intersection.
Another Campbell Street resident who welcomed the council’s decision was Aileen Culhane, who suffers an allergic reaction to the hibiscus and the New Zealand Christmas trees on her nature strip.
The six trees were among 15 mature trees whose removal was approved at the council’s April meeting.
The decision followed requests to remove them because of their impact on people’s health.
Other trees to go include eight Norfolk Island hibiscus from the eastern and western sides of James Street, between Bank and Regent streets, and another near 163 Princes Highway, Port Fairy.
The council’s physical services manager Trev Greenberger said the trees would be replaced with a non-allergenic species that was yet to be chosen.
Mr Greenberger said one objection had been received to the proposal to remove the eight hibiscus trees in James Street because of their impact on the landscape. However he said a staged removal and replacement was likely to alleviate those concerns.
Mr Greenberger recommended the decision on the removal of the James Street trees be deferred until after the forthcoming public consultation on an amendment to the Port Fairy Heritage Precincts Review.
The review would consider a report that described the trees in James Street as contributing to the precinct, Mr Greenberger said.
While the report said there were 25 of the hibiscus in that location, 17 had since been removed and replaced, he said.
However Cr Mick Wolfe successfully moved the council not defer the decision.
The amendment to the heritage precincts review might lift the importance of the James Street trees but they remained a nuisance to people’s health, Cr Wolfe said.
“Let us get rid of them now and put in a more friendly tree,” he said.
