TWO mature trees at a Forrestfield property have been cleared for removal after Kalamunda council approved the owner’s application, despite a recommendation from planning officers to refuse it.

The application was debated during the March ordinary council meeting after officers had advised against removal.
Both were assessed as healthy with a medium retention value.

Councillor Brooke O’Donnell moved the officer’s recommendation and said it was consistent with existing planning expectations.

“The WAPC approval should be really respected in terms of the tree removal,” she said.

“That would be, I think, a reasonable recommendation to continue and support the officer’s recommendation.”

Councillor Kathy Ritchie seconded the motion and said 41 trees had already been removed across the area with only two remaining.

“So, these are the only two trees remaining and we try and find that balance between the need to have room for housing and the need to retain, particularly in the foothills, what little trees remain,” she said.

“They are healthy trees and it seems to me to be a reasonable proposition that these two trees remain.”

Councillor David Modolo spoke against the motion and said the reason for refusal misrepresented planning regulations and that council had discretion to make its own judgment.

“We’re refusing an application to cut down a tree because the application doesn’t adequately consider preserving the tree,” he said.

“How can any application ever to cut down any tree ever succeed under this logic?”

Cr Modolo said the applicants, the Machinguras, were a migrant family who may not have been fully aware of tree retention conditions when buying the property.

“They came to Australia to live a better life and enjoy opportunities they couldn’t get elsewhere,” he said.

“I don’t believe that they read the fine print, or at least it wasn’t highlighted to them that these trees needed to be retained.”

Cr Modolo referred to an email Mr Machingura had sent him in 2024.

“I’ve got two big old trees on my property which have dead branches,” Mr Machingura said.

“These trees are looking dangerous to property and people.”

Councillor Lisa Cooper supported the officer’s recommendation and said she had visited the site to assess the trees herself.
“They’re quite magnificent trees,” she said.

“I think they probably do need to be kept under control and with pruning they’re going to last another 25 years.”

The officer recommendation was lost in a 4-3 vote with councillors Modolo, Geoff Stallard, John Giardina and Margaret Thomas against it.

Cr Modolo then moved an alternate motion to approve the application without conditions.

“The owner’s application be approved on the basis that council believes he has the right to remove vegetation on his own property,” he said.

This was carried 4-3 as well, allowing removal.