Tawny Frogmouth Tree Habitat to be removed permanently from Reserve

The Lorne Parade Reserve Tawny Frogmouths have been nesting in the Ironbark at the western end of the Reserve for the last 25 years. The are currently nesting and the chicks have hatched.

The LXRP is removing 2 Level Crossings and Railway Stations in Surrey Hills and Mont Albert. Two stations are being replaced with one invasive ‘superstation’. Local Public Reserve and residential streets are permanently lost.

The installation of the ‘superstation’ will result in a clear-felling of over 95% of the trees in Lorne Parade Reserve, including the nesting site for the Reserve’s Tawny Frogmouth Family.

• Tawny Frogmouth Family have been nesting in the Reserve for the last 30 years

• Currently they are nesting in the mature Ironbark at the western boundary of the Reserve adjacent to the substation (See Pic 1)

• This majestic eucalypt tree at 30m in height and over 100 years old, is planned to be felled by the LXRP, even though positioned well away from the proposed trench. The tree canopy was fully grown in 1971 when the 3rd rail was built. (See Pic 2)

• Tawny Frogmouths return to their original nesting site every year. The nesting pair will return to the Reserve next breeding season and their nesting site will be lost.

• Lorne Parade Reserve will be fenced off with solid hoarding on 25th October 2021. The hoarding will not allow the community to keep a close watch on our Tawny Frogmouth Family to ensure it is safe during the commencement works by LXRP

• The Ironbark Tree will be replaced with an electrical equipment room (See Pic 3 & 4)

• Friends of Lorne Parade Reserve Inc requested the relocation of this equipment room from this location – the original concept plans held the equipment room would be placed on the station concourse over the trench. Why choose the location of a significant tree for the equipment room?

• No detailed plans of the proposed station or which trees will be removed from the Reserve have been provided by the LXRP. Over 95% of the trees in the Reserve will be clear felled, including many trees which are located well away from the trench.

• Lorne Parade Reserve will be permanently lost with over 50% of usable open space being turned into a station entrance, station access paths, equipment rooms and cabinets, bus stop, kiss & ride, bicycle storage lockers and bicycle paths.

• Over 550 mature and majestic large canopy trees in the Reserve and surrounding streets will be forever lost to the community, a great many over 120 years old. Another 100 trees are being reviewed and many of these will be cut down by the LXRP

• The Reserve was bequeathed to the local community as Public Open Space and Parkland over 100 years ago and again in the 1980s and 1990s by past Governments. It has a long history of being protected by the community, visionary State Premiers and Ministers, including Rupert Hamer, Lindsay Thompson, John Cain and Joan Kirner. John Cain and Joan Kirner would be rolling in their graves with this disastrous outcome.

FOLPR reject that this tree, a haven for our Tawny Frogmouth Family and many other trees are being clear felled from the Reserve by LXRP. Our local Public Reserve is not free land for the Andrews Government to take and tick off their ‘BIG BUILD Projects’ list.