The Draft Strategy Plan for Albert Park of December 1993 promised an imaginative vegetation plan which would have not only increased the number of trees, as well as conserving the existing exotic and native trees, but would have enhanced the aesthetics and ambience of the park's landscape.
The plan contained (pp. 36-7) provisions that:
The Master Plan of November 1994 had to accommodate the Grand Prix and retained only the first provision (which refers to pre-white settlement trees) and a watered down version of the fourth.
$1 million has been allocated to save 39 trees including Dutch Elms, English Oaks, London Plane, and English Elms which "lie in the path of City Link" (Herald Sun, 5/6/96). What a contrast to Albert Park where over 1000 trees were destroyed because they were in the path of the Grand Prix track.
While the official number of mature trees removed seems to have only increased from 138 to 180 (The Age, 27/3/96), there is overwhelming evidence that over 1000 trees were removed to accommodate the new track. These included the following species which were recommended for new plantings:
| English Elm | Lombardy Poplar | Lemon Scented Gum | Red River Gum |
| Silky Oak | Spotted Gum | Desert Ash | Cottonwood |
| Apple Gum | Bangalay |
Some of the trees removed pre-dated white settlement.
Requests for a map of the trees felled was refused on the grounds that it was part of an agreement
between the MP&W and the AGPC and therefore was exempt from Freedom of Information
(FOI).
Also refused was a request for a large pre-1994 vegetation plan which would have assisted
documentation of trees removed.
Private developers are increasingly treating trees as valuable assets (one tree surgeon values a Lemon Scented Gum at $10-20,000, a mature oak at $40,000) and will spend up to $35,000 moving a single tree (Herald Sun, Home Magazine, 3/2/96, The Age Property, 10/4/96). The value of the 1000 trees removed in Albert Park is 'not available' from MP&W. Claims that the trees were sick and needed to be removed are not supported by Melbourne Parks & Waterways' own material. The vegetation survey conducted in 1992 found "the general condition of the mature trees in the park could be described as good." (Albert Park Vegetation Survey, July 1992).
The removal of over 1000 trees has had a devastating effect on the park's birdlife.
Albert Park has long been a major inner city habitat. Since 1979 129 different species have been
observed (The Age, 19/1/96). 'The Grand Prix and Birdlife in Albert Park' factsheet provides details
on the impact.
As well as removing trees, MP&W has been forced to cut back or severely prune many trees, including elms, to accommodate grandstands along the track.
Other trees were damaged by contractors during construction. Despite assurances that the AGPC would use "best possible advice, care and maintenance" while the track was built (The Age, 26/9/94), MP&W's own arboricultural reports of April 1995 noted numerous cases of damage to trees by contractors. Damage to some trees may not show for up to five years.
"Within the constraints of the road layout, new avenues of exotic trees will be established along roadways, pathways, important edges and in car parks. Where space allows, double avenues will be created." (Master Plan, November 1994, p.53).
This is an acknowledgement that the future vegetation plan would be constrained by the requirements of the Formula One circuit. The Environmental Management Plan for Albert Park (June 1996) is more explicit:
"Requirements for Grand Prix activities and temporary structures may preclude tree planting in selected areas although innovative in-situ temporary trees are now available." (p. 17).
As part of the exercise to seduce Park users into accepting the Grand Prix, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation claimed that 5,000 trees would be planted (Who's really Saving Albert Park? The Facts). MP&W was still "targeting 5000 trees in October 1995" (Port Phillip Leader, 22/10/95).
The predictions of Save Albert Park that the promised tree planting program of 5000 trees could not be fulfilled while the Grand Prix was held in the Park are now confirmed.
The latest plans of MP&W to plant only 2700 trees reinforce fears about the race's permanent impact on the enhancement of the park (Port Phillip Leader, 31/5/96).
Why plant only 2700? The answer is that the track safety and infrastructure and viewing requirements of the Grand Prix circuit cannot accommodate a tree planting program along the promised lines of the Draft Strategy Plan.
The latest plans confirm Save Albert Park's warnings about the impact of the Grand Prix:
It is not surprising that before the latest tree planting plan was released to the public in early May 1996 the Australian Grand Prix Corporation had had ample opportunity to inspect the plan; the Corporation's name appears on the plan which was dated 18 January 1996.
MP&W has had to resort to using temporary in situ trees, removed for the race period, which provide no habitat. These have predictably proved expensive to maintain and have been unsuccessful so far. Plans for 100 in situ trees have been reduced to 46, and much smaller trees are now being used.
The present plans highlight the incompatibility of good park planning and motor racing.
Once again the Grand Prix requirements dominate the plan for the total park. The needs of
traditional and regular park users have been subordinated to those of an organisation which claims it
will only use the park for four days a year.
The impact of the removal of so many trees will not be short-lived. The Loder and Bayly report noted:
"Unless the replacement planting is well advanced, for example a minimum size of 5 metres in height, the impact of removal of significant numbers of trees will last for approximately 10 years from the completion of the works." (The Environmental Effects of the Australian Grand Prix on Albert Park, August 1994, p.44).
The report went on to comment that:
"Given the previously discussed difficulties of establishing trees on the filled areas of the site, the growth projections would need to be revised."
The establishment of trees in Albert Park has been historically difficult. The Gillard Board of Inquiry of 1961 commented on the irresponsibility of removing trees for that reason (p. 37).
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