Avenue trees protected

By Tania Martin
GEMBROOK’S Avenue of Honour is set to be protected under the National Trust’s register for significant trees.
This come just 16 months after it was saved from the chopping block and given a $30,000 upgrade.
The avenue consists of 27 trees planted in Redwood Road in 1947 to honour diggers who enlisted in Gembrook.
Gembrook RSL member and Avenue steering committee chairman Greg Scott said the future of the trees was now more assured.
Mr Scott said the Avenue was just one of 13 in Victoria to be named on the register.
In a letter to the committee, National Trust CEO Martin Purslow said the Avenue was an important part of Australia’s cultural heritage and should be preserved for future generations.
The Avenue came under threat in August 2007 following a report commissioned by the Shire of Cardinia which recommended knocking the trees down and replanting the Avenue further down the road.
The report suggested the Avenue was in poor condition because of bad pruning and neglect.
However, local residents and the RSL campaigned to fight to save the Avenue.
Amid community pressure, the council was forced to find an alternative.
Instead, the council approved a $30,000 upgrade of the Avenue in March last year, which included pruning the trees as well as removing 11 trees that were not part of the original planting.
An additional nine trees were also planted by local residents to replace those that had either died or been removed since the avenue was first planted in 1947.
Mr Scott said the committee had applied to have the trees listed on the National Trust in January.
He said the group hoped to protect the Avenue’s status from inappropriate pruning or being impacted by future road or building developments.
Mr Scott said the next step was for council to amend the schedule on its heritage overlay to include the trees.
“Considerable effort went into improving and protecting the Avenue last year… this was achieved with the commitment and co-operation of RSL members and council representatives,” he said.
“This latest win in achieving registration for the trees at a state level should ensure the Avenue is preserved for future generations.”