As with the group of mature cedar trees outside the central post office, these trees serve as a living and aesthetically pleasing reminder of the history of the Kempsey area and also serve as an important source of shade, an ever-increasingly important cooling role in our town centres.

I understand the reason is the impact of the roots on the adjacent footpaths which could be a hazard for pedestrians.

If removing the trees is the only solution, then does this mean that the trees outside the central post office will follow their fate?

While I am no expert in this field, I do know that this is an "occupational hazard" of trees growing in urban areas and that other solutions to the problem have been and can be found.

Having experienced the denudation of Tozer Street of its mature, shade giving trees some 15 years ago, which have still not been replaced despite assurances that they would be, makes me wonder if Council has a cavalier attitude to the multiple values that trees represent and is happy to take the "easy way out".

I am however comforted by the knowledge that the community at large values the important role that trees, particularly mature trees, play in our lives and the environment, in this case the urban environment.

We feel we have been taken by surprise by this decision and would appreciate more information as to why Council feels there is no alternative to the course it has chosen.

I know I am not alone in the opinion that trees should not be removed, if at all, until substitute trees are grown in their place.

Dr Nona Harvey

West Kempsey