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 Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 3:40 PM |
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And I had another idea:
1. A person who wants a tree gets a voucher (electronically or an encoded gift card to stop fraud). giftvouchers.com springs to mind.
2. The voucher can be transferred and used by anyone in the BCC area.
3. When a person wants a tree, they take the voucher and submit it to a BCC registered community group or landscaper in Brisbane. (Green Care, Land Care, Bunnings and Mitre Ten spring to mind)
4. The community group collects the vouchers and advertises/promotes the scheme. They plant the trees on the footpath according to BCC guidelines and specifications.
5. The community group or landscaper gives the collected vouchers back to the BCC, and the money is deposited in their bank account. Or they simply swipe it and collect the funds then and there.
Features:
Vouchers would be used only once, or multiple times up to the value loaded on them.
People should be able to pay to 'load up' their green card and re-gift it.
Individuals could donate unused or partly used cards to a community group, who could then pool the value of these and plant the trees in a BCC park or special area.
The landscaper or community group would receive a commission fee. This is necessary to ensure that the card is redeemed when work is done and not fraudulently used. This also supports the community group, strengthening our communities.
Plantings of unsuitable trees or banned species could be controlled by (i) the community group planting the tree and (ii) by limiting the choices of trees that the person with the voucher can choose to powerline and BCC friendly ones.
Participating groups would be registered and oversight granted by the BCC.
The vouchers would be made of recyclable plastic or stiff and sturdy paper/recycled cardboard with a magnetic strip.
Funding sources:
1. Abolish the current free tree giveaway
2. Divert the funding to printing vouchers/gift cards
3. Accept donations for the scheme over the internet, or by regular voluntary payment with the rates bill.
4. Allow people who do not qualify or have used up their quota to buy a voucher as a 'green gift'. This could be done through eco-stores located in the Brisbane, at customer service centres, at post offices, or over the internet and posted. Profits from this could be directed into the scheme.
5. Have the vouchers expire at a set date (1 year); this encourages their use or transfer to a person who values it and will use it. Expired funds would go back into the scheme, making it even more viable.
6. Have sponsors advertise on the card.
7. Funds raised could be invested along with the Lord Mayor's "Brisbane Fund" or separate "green fund" to multiply the money and effect.
8. As a promotion, mail ratepayers with one free voucher along with their rates.
I believe this idea is self-sustaining and could even be self-funding in the long term.
You can have low rates, your tree and grow it too.
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| Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 3:05 PM |
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it will be a shame to see these green belts disappear in order to put up unit developments. but the council has decided they would rather concrete highrise and unit developments to green corridors close to the city. developers can't make excessive phat profits from providing green belts.
Apologies for my lengthy post. I understand that people don't want to live in an LA style city, and there are others who want the BCC to spend their rates wisely and not be told what to do with their own properties. In my humble opinion, I believe that some BCC money can be spent, but this must be matched or exceeded with funding and labour from individual and community group sources. After all, if people want more trees badly, its reasonable to expect that they can plant them and pay something for it too.
It's our community, It's our responsibility.
The BCC can't dictate what people do with their own yards. More trees would "break up" the hard lines of concrete and bitumen. My previous posts describe how well this works in Adelaide Street; Melbourne has a similar thing with Poplar trees lining their CBD streets.I think Brisbane is more leafy than Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide etc, and our compact CBD makes this possible.
I have no problem with people (including developers) making units and profit. People do business and make profits every day. I'm not saying that it can't happen, but it seems odd to expect people to voluntarily toil for free or at break even cost. And any debate in the "right" level of profit a developer "should" make would be impossibly mired in debate.
Furthermore, while people may object to units, the design of the newer ones are much better and greener than the 1970's brick boxes.
If a government were to ban units, houses would have to be built on unsuitable land (such as on hill slopes) or at the city fringes (Rochedale,East of Carindale, Mt Gravatt, Mt Coo-tha, Northwest of Ferny Grove).
These areas often happen to be bushland areas. Supplying services is also costly for sprawling areas. This is why cities exist- to supply services to many people at low cost. It's a scale thing. This also happens to keep residences away from bushland, which is also good.
Neighbourhood planning is good- people could get a say in what trees they like to add character to their area. The BCC has a consultation on just that right now. Funding a mass tree planting is an issue. It's not just a question of "how much money", but also "who is going to pay?" Serving private needs with public money can encourage waste.
Ratepayers do contribute (when the BCC gives away trees), individuals plant trees outside their own houses, and there are community funds and groups and other schemes. Getting these groups together into a co-ordinated force will help.
Some ideas
* The BCC should allow people to plant any trees, at their own cost, on their footpath.
*Neighbours should be able to report offending footpath trees to the BCC.
*BCC officers could make a preliminary assessment using GoogleEarth streetview.
The BCC should have the power to remove any offending tree (without notice where it is a hazard) and, if warranted, recover costs from the person who planted it (if it is a blacklisted species or BCC warnings to remove have been ignored).
*Residents should be able to remove a tree from the footpath if, and only if,
-they will replace it (unless it is a hazard),
- it is directly outside their property on the path
- it is not excluded from removal by BCC guidelines, or was planted by the BCC.
The BCC could make a simple, short guide to which trees are power line friendly (like partnering with the Energex program) and distribute this via the internet and the companies that sell trees at Bunnings (like a special label or tick). This scheme would be voluntary, keeping costs down.
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| Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 1:01 AM |
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Anonymous (29/08/2008)
I agree that we should be planting more. However, there are people such as my neighbour how prefer a sterile back yard (ie. grass and a fence) and complain long and loud about leaves, shade and wildlife interfering in their space. 'Bah humbug' is the expression one could associate to them.
I think we need (at a Council/government level), to advertise the advantages of greening our back yards.What sort of commuity is it where the government has to tell people everything? People in communities tak to and asociate with one another. Why don't you tell your neighbour about the advantages yourself, or invite him to your next barbecue, if you wish to, so he can experience them? When people see the advantages of what others do, they will want to do likewise. You know you have to pay for all of these things you are asking the government to do, right?
"Government is not eloquence, is not reason. It is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington, first president of the United States.
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| Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 12:52 AM |
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Anonymous (12/06/2008)
"Greening" Brisbane is important not only for aesthetics, but for the health of our city. Trees and other plants form an essential part of our ecosystem - as does the fauna they attract. It is worth noting that trees/plants provide us with natural filtration systems - most importantly through their respiration (ie returning oxygen to the air!). Even with high density living, it is essential that "green" space been planned (and planted where necessary). Development has caused the ecology of Brisbane and its surrounds to change significantly; it could be argued that continued development without green space would be detrimental to both the aesthetics and health of Brisbane, the most livable city... Brisbane is a CITY. It doesn't have an ecology.
"Government is not eloquence, is not reason. It is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington, first president of the United States.
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| Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 12:48 AM |
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Anonymous (2/06/2008)
There is no doubt that more trees makes for a better city all round. Looking at google earth, there are belts of very green trees and vegetation formed by peoples back yards. This is the situation in my street where the trees in the backyards form almost a canopy a few hundred metres long. The wild life loves it especially scrub turkeys (unfortunately). when all these detached houses in the inner suburbs are knocked down for unit development that will be the end of these green corridors close to the city. unit developments do not offer the same conditions for green corridors as the building takes up most of the block, most of the rest is concrete and tiny isolated gardens are put around the edges of the foot path. it will be a shame to see these green belts disappear in order to put up unit developments. but the council has decided they would rather concrete highrise and unit developments to green corridors close to the city. developers can't make excessive phat profits from providing green belts. unfortunately this is where council policy is leading. we will keep making room for more people, with no limit. the logical conclusion of this policy is that the council will keep destroying the livability of the city until the place is so crowded and unlivable that no-one wants to move here any more. only then will the council consider their policy fulfilled. can anyone else see the basic flaw in this policy. Sustainable Development actually requires higher-density living in order to make 'sustainable transport" (buses, trains, bicycles and walking) more effective. That means apartment blocks instead of detached houses. (And fat profits for developers, it just so happens.) The plan is to concentrate the population closer to the city centres instead of it being "sprawled out" in the suburbs. That will leave big, protected "green spaces" where the suburbs used to be, which should more than make up for the trees displaced by apartment blocks in the city. There will also of coourse be tree-filled "green spaces" in the city for the many "community" gatherings the Council likes to organise for us. The "flaw" is that we will have to get used to living in kennels.
"Government is not eloquence, is not reason. It is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington, first president of the United States.
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| Posted Thursday, 26 March 2009 12:33 AM |
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red hill resident (16/12/2007)
we still need more trees in brisbane. every available space should be greened. trees make our city look good which is very important for our economic growth, not only tourism but also for attracting people to want to work here. trees also cool the place down as well as make it more liveable. trees are so cheap to plant compared to their many benefits. council should go 50/50 with households to plant trees on footpaths. businesses should be supported to plant trees on their footpaths. every busstop should have shade trees planted beside it every sportsfield should have shade trees all around it every footpath should have trees along it Brisbane has plenty of trees. Look at any aerial photograph of Brisbane and look at the number of trees compared to buildings. Everywhere in Brisbane trees are prominent in all directions. If there were any more trees along footpaths there would be no footpaths. There is no point attarcting tourists or people to work here if the trees make it impossible for them to work, get around or actually see Brisbane. There won't be any economic growth if economic activity is impossible. Threre will also not be economic growth or more people wishing (or able) to live, work or tour in Brisbane if Council spends our money on planting trees. Brisbane will not be "livable" if it becomes a taxpayer-funded forest instead of a city. A lot of space available now may need to be used for something else later (after some economic growth occurs, to allow more growth) and trees will be in the way. By that time they will each have become an "iconic" tree and an "action group" will form to protest when someone wants to remove it.
"Government is not eloquence, is not reason. It is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
- George Washington, first president of the United States.
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| Posted Friday, 19 December 2008 8:49 AM |
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| Hi everyone, Thanks for all the really great feedback about trees. Thanks Stuart for submitting a link to your cartoon about reducing heat in urban settings. I have sent this link around to some of our Urban Planners for them to also take a look at. Also, you all might all be interested in a community consultation about Council's review of policies relating to tree management and protection which commenced yesterday. Following the recent storms the Lord Mayor announced he wanted to consult with the community about Council's tree policies. Some of the issues have been raised in this forum such as the types of trees that Council should be planting and protecting, and now there is an opportunity to provide specific feedback in an online survey. Find out more information about Council's current tree policies and have your say in an online survey. We look forward to hearing your feedback.
Project Officer - Community Engagement Team
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| Posted Wednesday, 10 December 2008 10:44 AM |
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18months BBC would generate a carbon sink and really create a tropical feel to Brisland.
This is interesting. I wonder if the BCC could get paid to plant these trees as part of a carbon sink program/carbon offset program?
In other words, all those companies wanting to buy carbon credits could buy them off the BCC, and the money from this could then be directed at planting the trees. The beauty of it would be that it is so simple, and no ratepayer funds are involved.
Brispete
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| Posted Monday, 8 December 2008 5:58 PM |
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| Posted Sunday, 7 December 2008 5:06 PM |
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| Change the developers attitude to suburban planning by forcing green design at them. I dont care what cost it adds. Like most ratepayers I spend a lot of my time and money maintaining my wide footpath for the BBC and listen to cars barrelling up and down my suburban street . Think about Brisbane boulevades . Our streets are wide enough to reduce the foot path width by half either side of the street and install centre islands which are planted with shade generating trees. In a matter of 18months BBC would generate a carbon sink and really create a tropical feel to Brisland. Cars cant smash into each other when there are not able to get to each other and like in European cities, traffic speeds would reduce dramatically- because the atmosphere is so much nicer. That huge drag strip being constructed down Bowen Hills to R.B. H. better have a massive belt of green down it or the heat generated will fry that bitumen and us all very quickly.
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| Posted Sunday, 7 December 2008 4:44 PM |
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| I am annoyed BBC continues to plant Leopard trees ( which are not a native species) under electrical wires. Then BBC spend a fortune chopping the centre out of them to avoid contact during heaven forbid "tropical storms" . I am amazed at councils inability to transfer the overhead cabling off old fashions timber posts into underground ducts given their predeliction for digging holes of late. If you want to see an exercise in wasted money drive down Kirby Road Aspley and look at the new supertall timber electrical posts installed last week. These were rewired by a team of about 15 technicians over a period of three days. One deep conduit underground under the footpath and the leopards can be left to create cooling shade and the wires stay out of the storms.
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| Posted Friday, 21 November 2008 11:58 AM |
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| Thanks everyone for all the great discussion about trees in Brisbane. Many of you have commented that its more than about planting trees, its maintaining them and ensuring their survival, as well as educating people about the benefits of trees. Council has lots of programs to incentivise and educate people about the benefits of planting and looking after trees. I have a some links to where you can find out more about this throughout Councils website that you might be interested in: 2 Million Trees Project - is working with communities and businesses to restore forest habitat in Brisbane's urban areas. CitySmart Schools Program - is educating students and provide teacher resources for schools to learn about the value of trees. The program promotes tree planting initiatives and events to schools throughout the year. Free Plants Program - Council offers free plants to residential rate payers, community groups and schools. Lots more information is available from Council's Environment pages including specific information about street trees and they types of trees Council plants. There is even a street tree feedback form so that you can provide some feedback to Council about where you would like to see more trees planted. 
Project Officer - Community Engagement Team
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| Posted Wednesday, 12 November 2008 1:22 PM |
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I couldn't agree more, AND more thought given to just what trees are planted. Hopefully trees that provide blossom that birds can live on and not trees such as those which were planted along our street some thirty years ago. They bear berries that nothing eats and the tree itself is unattractive. The Council person who selected them sat all day in his car making up his mind on what was to be planted. I think the only thing one can say about them is that they required very little maintenance
Swaggy
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| Posted Tuesday, 21 October 2008 8:56 PM |
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| I strongly agree there should be more trees around our suburbs - on footpaths etc. instead of just ornamental trees though, how about planting some fruit trees (including some native ones) to increase the feeling of community. do you remember picking fruit from trees on your way home from school (that huge mulberry maybe)? This would have the added benefit of increasing the fresh food intake of anyone who walks past these trees when they're in season.
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| Posted Friday, 10 October 2008 6:27 AM |
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I urge and challenge you to come on the community walk with Ric Nattrass on 2nd November, meeting at Rafting Ground Park at 11am and walk only a small section. We will be at the DOg Off Leash BCC park by 11.30am and KSSS Hall by 12.30pm for a meeting with politicians. Y0u will see that what you suggest about minimising the impact is impossible! Wear comfortable shoes. If it rains we are gathering at Kenmore South State School Hall at 12.30pm. Why should private owners of land preserve their trees and plant trees if our parks and Govt land can just bulldoze wildlife habitat as they wish!
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| Posted Thursday, 9 October 2008 4:28 PM |
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| Trees and green space is one of things that set us apart from so many world cities, the value is not to be underrated. Whilst I acknowledge the need to grow infrastructure it is truely sad to see how many trees, parkland and green space will be destroyed to make way for the all too inevitable Kenmore Bypass. I can only hope that talk won't be cheap when this goes ahead and that the bypass will be planned in a manner that minimises the loss. It is admittedly more costly to tunnel (cut & cover) but surely we have to value green space, visual amenity, community space, trees (Brisbane's lungs), reduced noise and light pollution, pedestrian access (ever tried to cross a 4 lane freeway?!), wildlife habitat etc etc etc. Government wants to talk green but are they actually willing to follow through when it counts?
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| Posted Friday, 29 August 2008 9:39 AM |
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I agree that we should be planting more. However, there are people such as my neighbour how prefer a sterile back yard (ie. grass and a fence) and complain long and loud about leaves, shade and wildlife interfering in their space. 'Bah humbug' is the expression one could associate to them.
I think we need (at a Council/government level), to advertise the advantages of greening our back yards.
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| Posted Thursday, 12 June 2008 4:02 PM |
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| "Greening" Brisbane is important not only for aesthetics, but for the health of our city. Trees and other plants form an essential part of our ecosystem - as does the fauna they attract. It is worth noting that trees/plants provide us with natural filtration systems - most importantly through their respiration (ie returning oxygen to the air!). Even with high density living, it is essential that "green" space been planned (and planted where necessary). Development has caused the ecology of Brisbane and its surrounds to change significantly; it could be argued that continued development without green space would be detrimental to both the aesthetics and health of Brisbane, the most livable city...
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| Posted Monday, 2 June 2008 3:31 PM |
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| There is no doubt that more trees makes for a better city all round. Looking at google earth, there are belts of very green trees and vegetation formed by peoples back yards. This is the situation in my street where the trees in the backyards form almost a canopy a few hundred metres long. The wild life loves it especially scrub turkeys (unfortunately). when all these detached houses in the inner suburbs are knocked down for unit development that will be the end of these green corridors close to the city. unit developments do not offer the same conditions for green corridors as the building takes up most of the block, most of the rest is concrete and tiny isolated gardens are put around the edges of the foot path. it will be a shame to see these green belts disappear in order to put up unit developments. but the council has decided they would rather concrete highrise and unit developments to green corridors close to the city. developers can't make excessive phat profits from providing green belts. unfortunately this is where council policy is leading. we will keep making room for more people, with no limit. the logical conclusion of this policy is that the council will keep destroying the livability of the city until the place is so crowded and unlivable that no-one wants to move here any more. only then will the council consider their policy fulfilled. can anyone else see the basic flaw in this policy.
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| Posted Tuesday, 27 May 2008 4:42 PM |
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| I agree totally. Brisbane along its main roads is becoming a barren landscape where trees seem to be actively NOT planted. Any new road work has all median strips and footpath either covered in concrete or grass which dies after the water truck stops coming. Unfortunately any existing greenway ends up being the path of a freeway because this reduces the noise impacts. Seems backwards to me. There should also be a power line replacement program to put them underground and alow existing trees to grow naturally rather than pruned (a.k.a hacked) by Energex. Brisbane should be an urban forest where our roads, parks, greenways and backyards link up to create a wonderful living environment.
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| Posted Monday, 7 April 2008 6:33 PM |
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| I'd love to see more trees, especially in streets on footpaths, but please, no more 'leopard trees'. I don't find them to look as good as the more stately trees and their shade is not so good when hacked to death for powerline clearance - other trees fare better.
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| Posted Monday, 7 April 2008 1:33 AM |
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| I agree that there are still thousands of barren places around Brisbane that need Greening but the problem of maintaining the trees is an issue. Gardening Australia featured an expert from Melbourne advocating the importance of watering trees during times of low rainfall as so many trees have not survived the drought. When Council knows that one of their projects is going to destroy many trees they should commit to a proactive planting in the same vicinity before the trees are destroyed. On Wecker Road, Council destroyed more than 100 trees, replacing them with a handful of trees on a small traffic island blocking the view of motorists leaving a parking area. The trees provided a buffer zone, and shade for a well patronised park. A huge fig tree near Pine Mountain Road was removed - a spectacular tree that should have been worthy of protection. Trukloads of chipped trees were removed from the area that could have been used in the same area to rehabilitate barren land and plant more trees. Council appears to have given up the fight against camphor laural in parks - which is a pity. Schools and government property have space for many hundreds of trees to be planted. Council lacks resources to maintain hundreds of footpath and traffic island trees so large tracts of trees in parks and where space is available seems a better option.
Phil
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| Posted Tuesday, 4 March 2008 1:16 PM |
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| I agree wholeheartedly with Red HIll resident regarding trees. Brisbane should be mass planted to provide shade and beauty to the city. I have recently visited Singapore and was so impressed by the beautiful plantings and trees they have in that city. They provided much needed shade and have made the city a beautiful place rather than just another concrete jungle. Come on Brisbane citizens and council, plant trees around your house and on your footpath and see how much cooler and calmer you will be.
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| Posted Sunday, 16 December 2007 7:47 AM |
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| we still need more trees in brisbane. every available space should be greened. trees make our city look good which is very important for our economic growth, not only tourism but also for attracting people to want to work here. trees also cool the place down as well as make it more liveable. trees are so cheap to plant compared to their many benefits. council should go 50/50 with households to plant trees on footpaths. businesses should be supported to plant trees on their footpaths. every busstop should have shade trees planted beside it every sportsfield should have shade trees all around it every footpath should have trees along it
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