Voices of Ku-ring-gai (VOK) has launched a new initiative. Headed by 2023 Independent Candidate for Wahroonga Kristyn Haywood, VOK serves to enhance the integrity and environmental protection within Ku-ring-gai and Council.
Since the NSW Government released a new dataset mapping total tree canopy coverage across Sydney, Ku-ring-gai has been under fire. The study claims that Ku-ring-gai lost 8.2% of its tree canopy between 2019 to 2022. These numbers are being disputed by Ku-ring-gai Council, detailing that the data collected over the three-year period was not comparable, making the study misleading.
Voices of Ku-ring-gai are maintaining that the 8.2% canopy loss is accurate, and have launched a social movement “Tree Watch”. The initiative encourages tree lovers to join the movement and keep an eye on the trees in the surrounding area and educate their neighbours.
Members can purchase a plaque to display at their residence which reads, ‘TREE WATCH WE’RE KEEPING WATCH OVER THE TREES IN THIS STREET”. VOK hopes to monitor illegal tree removal, pruning or poisoning that has contributed to the overall canopy loss in the area. Members are added into a WhatsApp group with like-minded tree lovers to support each other.
Despite the supposed good intentions of the Tree Watch initiative, it is relevant to note that the idea of monitoring your fellow neighbours may not foster a healthy community. Tree Watch is dangerously close to nearing authoritarianism with their encouragement of spying, never mind righteous by promoting knocking on the doors of neighbours to inform them of the ecology of their property.
In an article posted on the VOK site, written by a Grayling Road West Pymble resident wrote ‘Why should the pursuit of someone’s “dream home” come at the expense of the collective heritage and tranquillity of our community?’
Perhaps another question may be, ‘why should the pursuit of protecting tree canopy coverage come at the expense of community trust?’
