GEORGE NEWS - Chopping down or trimming trees on municipal property without the George Municipality's permission is an offence.
It goes against Section 6 of the by-law relating to roads and streets, and can lead to a fine being imposed, warns Acting Director of Community Services Sivuyile Mtila.
Mtila responded to a query regarding the recent felling of two very old exotic trees on municipal property.
He said a destruction of municipal property matter was referred to the Law Enforcement Department. He reminded citizens that the forms to apply for permission to remove or trim trees are available on the municipality's website.
A dismayed Monica Vaccaro of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) who brought the matter to the attention of the newspaper, said both trees were also over 60 years old and therefore enjoyed heritage status.
"Nobody reports and nobody does anything before it is too late, while these things are happening right under our noses. Before we look again, the trees are all gone."
Vaccaro recently managed to stop a resident in Erica Road from trimming all the trees on the pavement in front of his house to the height of his boundary wall. He had finished topping off three of the trees before being stopped. This case has also been referred to Law Enforcement, according to Mtila.
Tree committee
He said the municipality has established a tree committee that acts as an advisory panel whose expertise and experience are used to consult on issues that may have a broader impact on the community.
The preservation of trees contributes to creating quality living and work environments, which in turn attracts businesses and skills to the region. Trees also contribute to the aesthetic beauty of the city.
Henry Paine, chairman of the George Heritage Trust, warned that George is rapidly descending from a town with beautiful, tree-lined streets into an arboreal desert in the midst of a natural environment under constant threat of development.
"It is a disgrace that anyone should think that their personal preference in removing trees should be more important than the well-being of the community who overwhelmingly support retention of trees. We, in George, are not planting enough trees to replace the trees we have lost."
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
