To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in Parliament assembled:

We, the undersigned, are opposed and object to the desecration and destruction of our ancient River Red Gums within the City of Whittlesea.

We understand that our River Red Gums are unique throughout Australia in their growth form and that, as part of creation, they hold intrinsic environmental value. As such we should show great respect for these majestic trees and remember our place on this Earth as custodians of creation.

Many of our River Red Gums are several hundred years old and this longevity is testimony to the strength and stability of this species. That strength and stability is severely threatened by the relentless march of development that is currently sweeping through our municipality.

As the population of River Red Gums is steadily reduced by development it also is steadily weakened through loss of genetic diversity, and a point will be reached where the species will become unviable.

We further understand that the threat to our ancient River Red Gums is a part of the wider issue environmental sustainability, that western society is currently grappling with, and that their loss will have unforeseen environmental consequences for future generations.

Global warming is an example of such unforeseen environmental consequence that our society is being punished with for our lack of respect for our place on this Earth and scant regard for living and working sustainably within the bounds of creation.

We therefore regard the River Red Gums in the City of Whittlesea as an environmental line in the sand that developers, councils and governments must be prevented from crossing in the greedy and relentless pursuit of profit.

We demand that enhanced protection and conservation strategies be URGENTLY implemented for all remaining River Red Gums and that these strategies be as rigorously appiled to big developers as they are to rural land holders. These protection and conservation strategies must include:

1) A moratorium on any further destruction of River Red Gums in soon to be developed areas.

2) The expansion of tree protection envelopes to 5 metres outside the drip line of the trees.

3) The creation of conservation and passive recreation corridors that run the entire length of of the City of Whittlesea.

4) Any River Red Gums that must be removed in development areas should be compensated for by planting of 100 additional River Red Gums in the local conservation and passive recreation corridors.

5) Application of local law enforcement procedures against large developers, who illegally fell River Red Gums, to the same vigour and intensity as it is applied to private land holders within the municipality.

6) Any remnant herbs, grasses and orchids be removed from development areas and re-established in the conservation corridors or tree protection envelopes by the proponents of the developments.