NEWS THAT MATTERS

Umina Beach Public School

needs your help

Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford is calling on the community to help Umina Beach Public School save their Banksia Trees.

Damaged Banksia trees in Melbourne Avenue, Umina Beach Public School.

24 May 2023

 

IN 2020 parents from Umina Beach Public School organised ten mature Banksia trees to be planted on Melbourne Avenue, Umina Beach to provide shade and shelter to the classrooms and for parents during pick up times.

 

The group of parents, with help from Club Umina, coordinated watering and maintenance of the trees throughout the school holidays to ensure the plants survived. Community group, Grow Urban Shade Trees (GUST) provided oversight and information to the parents on caring for the trees.

 

Since there planting the trees have been subject to vandalism. The local Men’s Shed provided tree guards to prevent destruction of the trees but unfortunately during the Easter School Holidays in March of this year they were once again damaged.

 

Umina Beach Public School are now calling on the community to help protect their trees, whether that be by providing signage, replacing the damage trees, or joining the group caring for the remaining plants.

 

Member for Gosford said “This project from start to finish demonstrates what a community can achieve when they get together. It is a fantastic initiative started by the school and everyone involved should be proud of what they have achieved.

 

“This community project is a fantastic opportunity for kids to be educated on the importance of planting trees and how to care for our environment.

 

“I would encourage anyone in the area who is able to get involved and help the school keep these trees alive and protected.”

 

A parent from the school involved in the project, Kelly Sunartha said “We are so saddened that after our school community had gone to so much effort to raise funds, plant and provide ongoing water for the trees to then have been intentionally vandalised.

 

“We’d really love to see our larger community get behind the project to help raise the money to replant more trees as well as join us in caring for them.”

 

If you would like to get involved in the project please contact GUST via email on gust@peg.org.au.

 

GUST is a local community environmental organisation that help plant and water trees in order to build awareness around the benefits of urban trees, especially around reducing heat and increasing shade.

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