[COM] Victoria Square Upgrade - $24m

[Matt]

For the love of god. Get on with it.

[rev]

I seriously can not believe trees have now become such a big issue...

[monotonehell]

I seriously can not believe trees have now become such a big issue...

Wait until they have to decide what colour pavement to install...

[claybro]

aboriginal elders are upset with the proposed use of non-native flora (plane trees)...

At risk of being politically incorrect, no one is yet to convince me that the area of Victoria Sq, which just happens to be the geographical centre of a city designed in the 1830's has any cutural significance to the original inhabitiants. I would have thought they would have been more spiritually connected to the river. As far as i am aware, there were no notable natural features in what is Victoria Sq.

[Mants]

I seriously can not believe trees have now become such a big issue...

Wait until they have to decide what colour pavement to install...

or where to put the public toilets

[Reb-L]

aboriginal elders are upset with the proposed use of non-native flora (plane trees)...

At risk of being politically incorrect, no one is yet to convince me that the area of Victoria Sq, which just happens to be the geographical centre of a city designed in the 1830's has any cutural significance to the original inhabitiants. I would have thought they would have been more spiritually connected to the river. As far as i am aware, there were no notable natural features in what is Victoria Sq.

Yes, everybody knows this but are reluctant to say it. It's just politics and this time it happens to be Vic Square that's in the firing line. Whatever arguments (type of trees, heritage or whatever) are being used they are not the real issues.

[Shahkar]

[Shahkar]

City Council decides on spotted gums for Victoria Square upgrade

MOVE over plane trees and lemon scented gums, there's a new tree in town set to dominate the look of a revamped Victoria Square.

A City Council committee last night voted 8:3 to plant mostly spotted gums in its multi-million dollar upgrade.

More than 70 of the natives will be planted in the planned central plaza area and in the square's outer gardens, while close to 30 plane trees will line the edges of the event lawn.

The decision follows criticism of two earlier choices - lemon scented gums for being likely limb-droppers, and European plane trees for causing allergies and not respecting the preference of the Kaurna community for natives.

Last night's debate focused on the plaza area, to be created by paving the central road and closing it off for events.

Cr Anne Moran said if the council was planting plane trees around the lawn to minimise the risk of limbs falling on people sitting below, then it should also avoid natives in the plaza. "When the inevitable limb falls on a car or a large crowd, I want to be able to say I didn't vote for it," she said.

"I would prefer the safe choice (of plane trees)."

Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the gums were needed to differentiate the square from surrounding streets.

"If you vote for plane trees, you are voting to make the centre of Victoria Square a road," he said.

"If you vote for gum trees you are voting to make it a place for people."

Adelaide would end up being a "clone space" if the council always chose plane trees, he said.

If Cr Moran was really concerned about safety she would back his push for 40km/h speed limits in the city, he said.

"Statistically more people get hit by cars than branches."

[[Shuz]]

Ugh. This whole thing over trees has become a farce.

I think jacarandas would have been a better option if they couldn't decide between the lemon scented gums and plane trees.

[AtD]

I know they're not native, but I quite like these danish trees:

[Matt]

A few plane trees, a few gum trees... sounds like a decent compromise.

Now, just get on with it. Fed up with headlines about bloody trees.

[mackonamy]

Shitty choice Gum trees are bloooody revolting, no intense Autumn colour - just a dull, dead looking tree. If I want the bush, I'd go to the bush.

And funnily enough, this is about a PUBLIC space, e.g. a park, so trees are an integral part of the design. Those complaining about the fuss being made should pipe down, because the trees have a lot to do with how good the park / square turns out.

So many overly patriotic Australian's so deathly afraid of being "American" or "European" to the point where they can't embrace anything international. OMG, CANT CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN, CAUSE ITS AMERICAN. No wonder we've barely progressed as a country in terms of racism and culture. My biggest fear would be being stuck in a bicentennial early-mid 1980s Australia when the only takeaway was Chinese and fish and chips and everyone wore thongs and wife beaters and had mullets. Shudder.

[Waewick]

You want to develop culture by simply transplanting american events? I shudder to think of an Australia under your watch

[SRW]

Shitty choice Gum trees are bloooody revolting, no intense Autumn colour - just a dull, dead looking tree. If I want the bush, I'd go to the bush.

And funnily enough, this is about a PUBLIC space, e.g. a park, so trees are an integral part of the design. Those complaining about the fuss being made should pipe down, because the trees have a lot to do with how good the park / square turns out.

So many overly patriotic Australian's so deathly afraid of being "American" or "European" to the point where they can't embrace anything international. OMG, CANT CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN, CAUSE ITS AMERICAN. No wonder we've barely progressed as a country in terms of racism and culture. My biggest fear would be being stuck in a bicentennial early-mid 1980s Australia when the only takeaway was Chinese and fish and chips and everyone wore thongs and wife beaters and had mullets. Shudder.

Sad to see that you're still suffering the cultural cringe.

[claybro]

Ugh. This whole thing over trees has become a farce.

I think jacarandas would have been a better option if they couldn't decide between the lemon scented gums and plane trees.

Agree Shuz that Jacarandas are a beuitiful tree, but in our climate they are REALLY slow growing and would not provide a decent canopy even in 20 years. As for the Kaurna elders wanting natives...well the spotted gum is not native the Kaurna nation, but at least the council has considered their view. The ACC is to be congratulated for dealing with this matter and not allowing it to derail the process, and this compromise should please most people. Well done.