By Dongyun Kwon
New trees will be replanted at the car park of Healesville Walk Shopping Centre.
There was big concern raised by Healesville residents on Facebook regarding trees being cut down at the car park of Healesville Walk Shopping Centre, widely known as Healesville Coles car park.
Since the trees were cut down, Star Mail has been contacted by several community members via email, phone calls and in-person enquiries.
Healesville resident Michael Hayes is one of them who was deeply worried about what’d been done at the car park.
He said he found all trees had been removed on Tuesday 29 April.
“Myself and many others did not see a notice anywhere to say this would happen,” the Healesville resident said.
“Trees like these take many years to grow, bring shade on those hot days when we’re shopping.
“Earth and nature bring and give us life, and here we are cutting them down.”
Star Mail was successful in contacting the property management company of the shopping centre.
TLN Commercial director Phill Harrison said the landlord’s decision to go through the process of removing the trees was due to trip hazards.
“A lot of the trees are going too big, the roots have lifted up the asphalt, and the borders surrounding the trees can also create trip hazards,” he said.
Mr Harrison confirmed they will replant trees soon.
“After we got the approval from the council to remove the trees, we’ve got to go back to the council with our plans,” he said.
“They’ve got to approve what we want to put back in there.
“We want to put some sort of trees back in there but I just don’t know what kind of these will be subject to, what council will approve for us.”
