By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Kalorama residents are calling on local council to plant more trees – not cutting them down to cause deforestation in the Dandenongs.
One residents living in Kalorama contacted Star Mail to raise his concerns for the number of trees being chopped off daily.
For Ron Thomas, living in Kalorama has always meant waking up to the sound of birds chirping from towering eucalypts and walking his dog under a canopy of green. But lately, it feels like those familiar sights are disappearing one by one.
“Every day, it seems like another big tree is being felled, we’ve lost so many already, and now it’s like no one’s stopping,” Mr Thomas said.
Three years ago, the region was hit hard by a storm that left a massive scar on the Dandenongs landscape – destroying hundreds of thousands of trees.
Since then, Mr Thomas has watched with growing concern as the removal of trees continues unabated.
“It feels like people are scared of trees now, it’s like they’re trying to make Kalorama look like any other suburb of Melbourne – more houses, fewer trees,” he said.
Mr Thomas, who has lived in Kalorama for the past 25 years, feels deeply connected to the natural beauty of the area. For him, the trees aren’t just part of the landscape – they’re part of the community.
“The beauty of this place is the trees. It’s why we live here. And when they’re gone, it’s not just the view that suffers – it’s the whole environment,” he said.
Despite the storm’s devastation, Mr Thomas said it’s not too late to restore what’s been lost.
“We’re cutting down trees to prevent accidents, but what we should be doing is replanting, if we don’t start reforesting, we’re going to lose the heart of Kalorama,” he said.
It’s not just the council’s actions that are raising alarm, Mr Thomas points out that private landowners are also taking down trees, often without replanting anything in return.
“I walk the main roads around here every morning, and there’s always a tree being taken down. Just this week, trees came down in Barbers Road and Price Road,” he said.
“It’s like one tree a day. And yet, I don’t see any real effort to replace them.”
A Yarra Ranges Council spokesperson said a tree on Barbers Road, Kalorama, was removed after tests revealed extensive fungal decay in the trunk, posing a high risk of falling.
A tree on Falls Road in Olinda was removed as part of the Federal Government-funded Preparing Australian Communities program after tests confirmed it had died. Due to its proximity to the road and the risk of damage in a fall, it was deemed necessary for removal. A pre-fauna inspection was conducted, and a fauna spotter was present during the removal to ensure no habitat was disturbed.
Another tree on Jeeves Avenue, Kalorama, was removed following an arborist’s assessment which confirmed it was dead. Standing at 28 metres, the tree had homes, a road, and a driveway within its fall zone, leading the council to recommend removal.
The council’s spokesperson said their priority is to preserve trees, especially significant remnant ones, wherever possible. Trees are only removed when they pose a risk to human safety or property and cannot be mitigated.
“We receive a large number of tree removal requests and carefully consider each one. Many are denied if there is no risk to life or property, and the tree is healthy,” the spokesperson said.
“We plant around 1800 trees annually as part of our street tree planting program. This year, we aim to install about 105,000 indigenous plants in priority conservation areas and 21,000 in parks and reserves.”
Mr Thomas doesn’t deny that safety is important, especially after the storm, but he’s convinced that taking down trees for the sake of safety isn’t the solution.
“People are worried about branches falling on someone, and the council’s taking down trees to prevent that. But I think there’s a better way to do it. Trees are part of the solution – not just the problem,” the Kalorama resident said.
For Mr Thomas, the issue is clear: if the community doesn’t act now, the future of Kalorama could look very different.
“If this keeps happening, we’re going to end up like every other suburb – just houses and concrete,” he said.
“The Dandenongs will lose everything that makes it special.”
His concerns are shared by many of his neighbours, who are equally worried about the future of the Dandenongs environment.
“It’s not just me – everyone’s talking about it. We need to replant the thousands of trees that haven’t been replaced. It’s not just about keeping Kalorama beautiful – it’s about the environment. We need trees to help with erosion, to protect us from landslides, and to keep the climate in check,” he said.
He also spoke fondly of May Moon, the local’s environmental champion who fought tirelessly to protect the Dandenongs.
“I think about May Moon a lot. She put so much effort into preserving this place, and now we’re watching it slip away,” Mr Thomas said.
“She’d be devastated to see what’s happening. We owe it to her to keep fighting for the trees.”
“We need to bring back the thousands of trees that are missing, we can’t just keep taking them down. It’s not just about safety – it’s about our future.”
While Mr Thomas’s frustration is clear, he hasn’t lost hope.
“It’s not too late, we can still make a difference. If we start replanting, we can bring Kalorama back to life,” he said.
For Mr Thomas, the fight isn’t just about saving trees; it’s about saving the community’s way of life.
“We live here because of the trees. If we lose them, we lose what makes Kalorama home.”
