By JOLENE OGLE
RESIDENTS of the luxurious Iluka apartments in Noosa Heads are outraged the body corporate wants to cut down gumtrees in what they say is a blatant plan to improve views.
The issue appeared before council’s planning and organisation meeting on Tuesday 13 October, where the council agreed to defend an appeal lodged by the body corporate who wants to remove 10 gumtrees from an environmental covenant area to “satisfy a bushfire management plan”.
The original fire management plan, approved by council, required the first 2.5 metres of the covenant area to be a “fuel reduced zone” with only fire-retardant plantings to be established in the area.
According to the report to council, the body corporate wants to cut down the trees because it believes the 10 gumtrees pose a fire danger to the building.
Body corporate president Clive Brown said the appeal to remove the trees had nothing to do with improving views, but came down to an obligation to maintain the fire management plan.
“We have had two independent reports, a visit from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and a visit from the Rural Fire Brigade, and they all agree the trees are too close to the building,” he said.
According to council’s report, the trees in question serve as a visual buffer for Noosa Sound residences and are known koala food trees, with Iluka residents sharing photos of koalas in the trees throughout last month.
Following the appeal from the body corporate, Noosa Council sent an independent bushfire consultant to view the covenant.
The bushfire consultant found the vegetation is “not a risk to life and/or property and/or environment should the area become involved in a bushfire” and that the covenant is a “low bushfire hazard area”.
Mr Brown said with council’s consultant returning a different opinion to other fire services, the decision now came down to the planning and environment court.
Iluka resident Alan Douglas said the trees should stay as they block the sound from local resorts and traffic on the Noosa River, and provide food for local koalas.
“I don’t want to see them cut down,” he said. “I’ve seen koalas enjoying the trees.”
Mr Douglas said he was also disappointed the body corporate funds would be used to pay for a legal battle many residents didn’t want to take part in.
Noosa Council will now defend the appeal lodged by the Iluka body corporate in the planning and environment court.
