As part of the upcoming traffic improvement works in Earlwood, Council has made a decision to replace the Hill Weeping Fig trees on Clarke Street and Earlwood Avenue. This is necessary due to the ongoing damage caused to the infrastructure surrounding the trees, including footpaths, subsurface drainage and pits as well as to shop frontages. Without intervention, the trees will continue to grow and will continue to pose an ongoing safety and maintenance issue.

Visit Council's original proposal which included both the proposed tree replacement and other works to reduce the speed limit in the Earlwood town centre from 50km/hr to 40km/hr to improve safety of pedestrians.

When planning for urban spaces like Earlwood, it is important that the features of the tree species are carefully considered for their impact on our City’s local biodiversity, the existing landscape, and ongoing maintenance requirements.

To replace the Hill Weeping Fig trees, Crepe Myrtles have been selected for several reasons:

• Crepe Myrtles are already used in nearby streets. Additional plantings would enhance the existing street character in the local area;
• As deciduous trees, they will also provide greater sunlight along the footpath and to surrounding businesses during winter months;
• The trees are drought tolerant; and
• They are more suitable under power lines and would have limited impact on the subsurface infrastructure.

As part of the feedback from the community, Council has received support for the replacement of trees, however, there have been some additional requests for Council to review the species type.

Your feedback is important to us, so please let us know what you think of the following options for the replacement of these trees before Wednesday 26 June 2024.

• Option 1 – Continue with the proposal to replace the Hill Weeping Figs with Crepe Myrtle trees; or
• Option 2 – Replace Hill Weeping Figs with an Australian native species, either Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) or Ivory Curl Tree (Buckinghamia celsissima).