Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt has joined local MPs, representatives of Main Roads, conservation group Trillion Trees and community volunteers to plant almost 400 tuart trees in Fremantle’s Booyeembara Park over the weekend.
The tuart trees, along with more than 4000 other native plants, were planted at Boo Park as part of Main Roads’ landscaping and revegetation strategy for the High Street Upgrade project.
Another 4000 new tuart trees were also recently planted at Whiteman Park through a partnership between Main Roads and Trillion Trees.
Mayor Pettitt said he was pleased Main Roads had listened to community feedback and retained as many trees as possible in the design of the High Street project.
“The removal of some vegetation is inevitable on a project like the High Street Upgrade, but the way the project has been designed to minimise tree losses in conjunction with the extensive tree planting program has actually delivered a pretty good outcome,” Mayor Pettitt said.
“The 4000 tuarts planted at Whiteman Park mean that for every tuart tree removed as part of the High Street project more than 200 have been planted in its place.
“The 400 new tuart trees planted in Boo Park will deliver a substantial net gain in the number of tuart trees in the local area while also making the park a much more attractive place for local residents to enjoy for generations to come.”
The state and federal governments have committed $118 million to upgrade High Street, from Carrington Street to Stirling Highway, to reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety.
The High Street Upgrade has been carefully designed to retain more than 70 per cent of the established trees in the project area.
The design features a wide, tree-lined median separating the eastbound and westbound traffic lanes, creating an attractive gateway into Fremantle.
