Susanna Freymark
Resident Vicki van Beers wants the large poinciana tree outside the Casino Memorial Swimming Pool to stay.
A Facebook page called Casino, Save our Beautiful Poinciana! has been set up by residents.
Ms van Beers wrote to Richmond Valley Council about the tree.
Here was the reply.
“Please be assured we are not in the business of unnecessarily removing trees.
“We have planted more than 2500 new trees across our Valley in the past 12 months.
“It was a hard decision to remove such a centrepiece in Casino but the safety of pedestrians, especially children using the pool, was paramount.
“The 24-year old poinciana tree outside the Casino Memorial Swimming Pool is the wrong size tree for this location. Its structural
integrity and health is compromised by the need to continually trim its branches due to the power line which runs through the middle of it, and its canopy impacts the heritage building façade.
“On top of this, its root system is compromising the building foundations.”
Council has said suitable trees will replace the poinciana.
“We have the opportunity to get the landscaping right to provide an entrance which highlights the memorial façade so it can be appreciated properly
by the 40,000 visits we get to the pool each season, as well as the passing traffic.”
There has been confusion about the age of the current poinciana.
“Our historical photos show there were no pool entrance trees until the current poinciana tree was planted in 1997.
” A 1999 engineer’s report is proof of the timing. There were no trees near the entrance during the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s or ’80s.”
More than $6 million will be spent on stage one of the Casino Memorial Olympic Pool redevelopment and includes a new eight-lane, 50-metre heated pool with an all ability access ramp and stairs and a multi-purpose toddlers’ splash pool.
A fly-through video shows what the pool will look like. Go to pool – opens in new tab
For further enquiries, call the council on 6660 0300 or email council@richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au.
