People power won the struggle to save the trees in King George V Ave. 

No thanks to Tamworth Regional Council which is hellbent on development at any cost. 

Unluckily, the vandalism of the silky oaks (on Napier St) was carried out before anyone was consulted.

Sure, some of the bowling club patrons did not like them. 

Too bad. Park somewhere else and walk half a block!

I could maybe understand if one tree was deemed to be damaged or infested, but looking at the eyesore of the 10 stumps left in Napier St, they seem to be perfectly OK.

These trees join the rest of jacarandas etcetera, chopped down by council at the whim of anyone who does not like them.

The selling of parkland and green spaces for so- called development is short sighted.

Do we really need another supermarket, motel, liquor outlet and gambling venues?

I know there is a Tidy Towns competition, but perhaps if there was an Ugly City one, Tamworth could be in with a chance.

The old Joni Mitchell song still has relevance. 

It goes: “That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone/They paved paradise and put up a parking lot/They chopped down the trees and put them in a tree 

museum”.