"I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree; in fact unless the billboards fall I'll never see a tree at all." - Ogden Nash - Paul to SMH

​It’s great that the Federal government finally acknowledges the value of trees, but how is it actually going to control, even influence, policy at State level?

Given the length of time trees take to mature, the first priority must surely be to preserve what we already have.  The suburb of Frenchs Forest didn’t get its name by accident, but will soon have to be referred to the Geographical Names Board to have “Forest” removed, such is the environmental and social devastation being wreaked by the building of a new hospital, a 12-lane dual-level highway, and extensive development planned for the wider area around the hospital precinct.  Already hectares of bush and countless birds and animals have been destroyed, and more is imminent.  Businesses have already been evicted, and homes are next in line.  The tragedy of it all is that the hospital is being built in what the government’s own “robust qualitative analysis” rated a poor third amongst the six locations considered.  The ruin of the pleasant leafy suburb is thus totally unnecessary.

Not surprisingly, the Federal Liberal member for Warringah and one-time Prime Minister hasn’t uttered a peep in defence of the trees, nor of the residents, both human and non-human.

I hope Mr Turnbull’s aspirational words don’t turn out to be just that, ideals without any practical benefit.