Just yesterday evening a notice was put up on the Naxxar’s Local Council Facebook fanpage about the imminent uprooting of the Bay trees (Laurus nobilis) in the main avenue. This morning… they were already gone.
All of this less than 3 months after the same council invested €30,000 in “Greening Malta Project”… Ironic much?
The public’s reaction to yesterday’s post alone ought to be an eye-opener to authorities.
A few considerations:
- Bay trees are a symbol of victory, but there is nothing victorious about their uprooting
- The notification was made less than 24 hours prior to the uprooting
- Improving accessibility is a lame excuse that has been used and abused. The pavement is wide enough. Personally, I walked through that area several times with a pram and found no difficulty whatsoever. And before anyone mentions the uneven pavement, tree protection guards have already been suggested in the past. These have been set up in Naxxar a few metres down the road.
- What will be planted instead of these trees? It would be a good idea to plant larger trees, with a denser canopy, to provide shade to passers by.
Jeanette Borg 