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As part of a new awareness campaign, the City of Burnside has installed new temporary signage across the city for the first time following two separate incidents of significant tree poisoning on private property.

Council officers identified both incidents with assistance from members of the public who raised concerns regarding the identified trees’ health. Following arborist reviews on each tree, it was determined the damage in each instance had been caused with deliberate intent to fatally poison.

Poisoning incidents occurred at:

• 591 Glynburn Road, Hazelwood Park – one mature River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) with a trunk circumference greater than three metres was found to have had holes drilled along the lower trunk.
• 36 Tennyson Drive, Beaumont – two mature Sugar Gums (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) both with trunk circumferences greater than three metres were found to have had holes drilled along the base of the trees.

Discovery of this wilful damage was met with immediate action by Council officers, with both signs installed within 24 hours of the Tennyson Drive incident being brought to attention. All three trees were marked as significant due to their size and require Council permission to be modified or removed from private property. The maximum fine for illegally damaging or removing a significant tree is $120,000 and the possibility of a criminal conviction.

City of Burnside CEO Chris Cowley said following the recent spate of significant damage caused to the city’s urban canopy, it was disappointing to yet again see harm brought to important community assets.

‘We are a city defined in part by our stunning urban canopy, it is what makes the Burnside area so beautiful. Unfortunately, the continued damage to our natural environment threatens the heart of our community,’ Chris said.

‘Actions like these are not only illegal, but they also have a significant financial impact on Council and our ratepayers.

‘We desperately need those who commit these damaging acts to understand the impact they are causing. These signs are not something we want to deploy, but we have been left with no alternative than to begin to use them to publicly identify locations where someone has committed deliberate and illegal acts such as these, be it on public or private land.

‘If you have any concerns about the health of a tree on private or public land, be it at a house in your neighbourhood or in a Council reserve, please contact the City of Burnside immediately so that we can act.’

The Glynburn Road and Tennyson Drive poisoning incidents follow the mass damage event in Auldana earlier this year, where approximately 50 mature trees were illegally felled on Council land. Following this event, temporary signage was installed in Auldana North Reserve, drawing attention to the incident and calling for community support in protecting the urban canopy.

Signage at 36 Tennyson Drive, Beaumont, where two mature Sugar Gums were poisoned.

Signage at 591 Glynburn Road, Hazelwood Park, where a mature River Red Gum was poisoned.

A respect for community drove former City of Burnside Mayor Michael Perry AM. Now it is respect for the legacy of Michael Perry that drives Council’s efforts to rejuvenate the reserve named in his sake.

After years of hard work and dedication, Michael Perry Botanic Reserve in Stonyfell has been restored to a native vegetation haven thanks to the efforts of the City of Burnside’s Conservation and Land Management team and volunteers.

Featuring redeveloped walking paths, crystal clear water systems and a wide array of native flora, Michael Perry Botanic Reserve is the hidden gem of the City of Burnside’s nationally recognised parklands.

Michael Perry, who recently celebrated his 91^st birthday at On Statenborough where he now resides, is deeply entrenched in the City of Burnside’s history and community, having formerly served as Councillor, Alderman and Mayor.

Born in Kent Town in 1932, Michael moved to Hazelwood Park at the age of 10 and has been a resident of the city ever since. Attending Prince Alfred College for the entirety of his schooling, Michael excelled on the sporting field and was part of the First XI cricket, First XVIII football and First Tennis teams, as well as being named School Captain in his senior year.

Following his high school graduation in 1951, Michael took up working at the family business Perry Engineering, which employed around 1,300 people. Eventually moving up and becoming director of the company, Michael left Perry Engineering in 1985 to become an Industrial Commissioner of South Australia and a Commissioner in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Michael retired in 1994.

Just as illustrious as Michael’s professional career was his public service. First becoming a Councillor with the City of Burnside at the age of 26, Michael held the position until 1965 and then again from 1971 to 1973. Becoming the 14^th Mayor of the City of Burnside in 1973, Michael served in the role for two years before then becoming an Alderman until 1983, at which time he ceased his service for the city. Michael was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1983 for his service to industry and the community.

Speaking about his time at the City of Burnside, Michael said he didn’t move into public service on any particular issue, but to assist in any way he could.

‘I think I benefited from the point of view that I tried to contribute to serve the community, rather than just sitting back and expecting things to happen,’ Michael said.

Having played an important role in bringing several iconic Council projects to life, all of which continue to serve the community to this day, Michael notes the establishment of the Burnside Library, George Bolton Swimming Centre and the transformation of Kensington Oval as some of the highlights during his tenure.

In celebration of both the regeneration of the reserve and the milestone birthday for Michael, the City of Burnside, supporting both On Statenborough and Resthaven, joined them for a special event at the Michael Perry Botanic Reserve on Thursday 16 November.

Residents of On Statenborough were treated to a guided tour of the reserve by the City of Burnside’s Dr Mark Ellis, who gave attendees insight into the unique history of the reserve as well as the process behind its rejuvenation. A picturesque day, the tour group were then shuttled back to On Statenborough for a presentation and morning tea, with Michael Perry and his family the guests of honour. Also in attendance were several City of Burnside Council Members, Council’s executive team and many On Statenborough residents.

The City of Burnside would like to congratulate Michael Perry on his milestone birthday and for the lasting impact he has left on the Burnside community.

Michael Perry AM with Mayor Anne Monceaux

Michael Perry AM with his wife and daughters

Left to right: Julie Williams, Matt Cragg, City of Burnside CEO Chris Cowley, Mayor Anne Monceaux, Darren Baynes, Cr Jane Davey, Dr Mark Ellis

Left to right: Cr Mike Daws, Cr Jo Harvey, Cr Jenny Turnbull, Cr Jane Davey, Michael Perry AM, Mayor Anne Monceaux

On Statenborough residents tour Michael Perry Botanic Reserve

On Statenborough residents tour Michael Perry Botanic Reserve

The redeveloped Dulwich Community Centre is now open!

Officially welcoming community groups and residents at an opening ceremony on Saturday 18 November, the space is now ready to host visitors from all walks of life.

One of the many groups migrating to the Dulwich Community Centre from the Burnside Civic Centre is children’s performer, yoga teacher and art therapist Dizzy Izzy with her musical playgroup.

Full of songs, nursery rhymes, movement, dance and instruments for your little ones to play, lesson plans are grounded in research, fostering learning and growth, brain development, rhythm, coordination and language. These sessions have the goal of building confidence, nurturing self-expression and bringing families closer together.

As a former yoga studio owner, Izzy is excited to be able to utilise the new facilities.

‘I will be moving to the Dulwich Community Centre next year. It feels like the perfect space and the perfect location for young families,’ Izzy said.

‘I love the Dulwich area, it's where my parents live, it's where I grew up – I feel very connected.

‘I love the architecture of the big beautiful space. I love the floorboards - when you’re doing arty fun things it’s nice to be able to stomp your feet and make some noise. Hopefully, it will be the area for a start of programs going forward for Dizzy Izzy.’

Dizzy Izzy will be hosting school holiday programs in the coming months out of the Burnside Civic Centre, before making the move to Dulwich in February.

Expressions of interest to host events or functions are open now, head to our website to find out more.

It’s never too late to learn new tricks, and the Men’s Cooking Group at the Burnside Civic Centre is doing just that.

Run by Meals on Wheels, the program is funded by the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) as part of My Aged Care. Aiming to teach men over the age of 65 how to prepare and cook delicious meals with an emphasis on a healthy diet, all ingredients, kitchen spaces and participant fees are covered by the City of Burnside.

Meals on Wheels Program Facilitator and Coordinator of Food, Nutrition & Social Program Sarah Harrison said the group had been a pleasure to teach.

‘We all come in, learn how to cook, sit around, and have lunch together. They are all incredibly friendly and happy people to be around,' Sarah said.

‘I go over the basics of cooking and cover any questions they might ask, like if they want to substitute a particular ingredient because of their diet.

‘I try to think of older people when I plan what we cook – increasing protein and hydration are big focuses.'

Bernie, who has been a member since the program's inception last year, said he enjoyed getting to know the other participants.

‘Some of the guys here can get a bit lonely, this is just as much about socialising as cooking,’ Bernie said.

‘I know how to cook, but I enjoy coming here to talk.'

We have a lot of great news to unpack in this week’s episode of Burnside Highlights, with the new facilities at the George Bolton Swimming Centre, the re-developed Dulwich Community Centre and the upgraded Conyngham Street Dog Park all opening this month.

The City of Burnside has presented to Parliament in a landmark first that could help shape the future of tree protection laws in South Australia.

Council CEO Chris Cowley and Coordinator Environmental Sustainability Dr Philip Roetman met with the Environment, Resources and Development Committee (ERDC) at Parliament House yesterday to give a presentation on the City of Burnside's submission to the Inquiry into the Urban Forest.

The Inquiry's interim report, which was tabled in both the House of Assembly and Legislative Council in recent weeks, investigates Adelaide's diminishing urban tree canopy and contains 15 recommendations to help restore it.

Earlier this year the City of Burnside made a submission to the Inquiry, making a number of recommendations that have been incorporated into the interim report. These recommendations include a significant increase in fees for legal removals and fines for illegal removals, the removal of exemptions that can be exploited via loopholes, a broadening of regulations to protect more trees and the establishment of an Urban Forest Fund.

In his presentation to the ERDC, City of Burnside CEO Chris Cowley said while councils can play a major role in protecting Adelaide's urban forest, they needed more support from the State Government to do so.

‘We are achieving prosecution, but the work involved is substantial. We are relying heavily on residents to provide evidence, the challenge we have is finding enough - a stronger message needs to be sent,’ Mr Cowley said.

‘We are absolutely supportive of the vast majority of, if not all of the recommendations, but we think there is an opportunity for some fine tuning.

‘Streamlining of the prosecution process on multiple levels and removing ambiguity would support Councils greatly.’

Mr Cowley also provided further details to the ERDC on what the City of Burnside has done to mitigate tree damaging activities within the Council area, citing the illegal removal of approximately 50 trees in Auldana North Reserve earlier this year.

‘The sheer scale of this damage is terribly upsetting. We have had Trees For Life revegetating this site and it was completely decimated,’ Mr Cowley said.

‘We have had numerous other incidents within the past year of individuals and businesses causing damage to our urban canopy.’

With support from the State Government and Member for Taylor Nick Champion, $50,000 in funding has been granted to assist the City of Burnside in establishing 15 semi-mature trees to offset tree losses in Auldana North Reserve. Funding will also go towards major signage in the reserve alongside a walking trail and CCTV surveillance to ensure the continued prosperity of the site.

The City of Burnside was also successful in achieving a prosecution in recent weeks against an individual who illegally felled a River Red Gum at a private residence in Rosslyn Park. Due to the prompt action of neighbours contacting the City of Burnside, Council was able to arrive on scene during the act and gather evidence in a timely manner, which enabled a successful prosecution.

Judge Michael Durrant recorded a criminal conviction against All State Tree Works owner Mike Fatu, who was also fined $7,000 and ordered to pay over $2,000 in additional fees including the City of Burnside's court costs.

In his closing comments to the ERDC, Mr Cowley urged parliament to take action to reduce further damage to Adelaide's diminishing urban forest, calling for increased avenues pursuable by Councils.

‘We would like to reflect on the ability of Council to expiate rather than proceed to court action – court is costly and time-consuming passing costs to rate payers. Expiation would provide a faster process to produce outcomes,’ Mr Cowley said.

‘Councils do require changes for more successful prosecutions.’

ERDC Chair and Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson thanked the City of Burnside for their valuable contribution.

The Inquiry will continue into 2024, with the interim report available to view online here.

What park am I?

I am State Heritage listed, 13 hectares and named after a boy's school in Birmingham, England.

Photo: Aerial view of the park circa 1964, Local History Collection.

Do you know where this coach house is located? Built around 1869, this coach house was originally part of a large estate owned by Thomas Graves at the time of construction. The building itself is made from local bluestone, with flanked gabled wings and a central pediment. When the property was subdivided in the 1970s, the coach house was converted into a residence and still stands today.

Photo: Coach house circa 1899, State Library of South Australia B47447

It is with sadness that the City of Burnside has unveiled new several banners and signage around the Auldana area. Deemed necessary following the destruction of up to 50 native trees in a reserve at the end of Patrick Auld Drive, these signs will act as community information boards and warnings against further vandalisation.

The City of Burnside is thankful for the assistance from the State Government and Minister Nick Champion for helping to support this project by providing $50,000 funding. These funds will provide protection and development of the site moving forward through:

• Debris cleanup and removal from the site
• installation of new signage and banners
• installation of CCTV cameras
• installation of a walking trail through the area
• creation of a new fund to plant 15 mature trees around the City of Burnside.

The City of Burnside CEO Chris Cowley said the act of destruction had been extremely disappointing.

‘The City of Burnside wants to send an extremely strong message to the community that we will not tolerate this and it must never happen again,’ Chris said.

‘Our message is encouraging the community to be our eyes and ears on the ground. If you hear anything we encourage them to contact us straight away if you see any vandalism going on. We implore our community to help us in this endeavour.’

City of Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux said the importance of trees to the community both as an aesthetic and environmental asset was paramount.

‘Trees are a part of who we are, they are part of our logo, the tree is a symbol of the City of Burnside,’ Mayor Anne said.

‘The loss of trees is a loss of a community asset, a loss of beauty and a loss of habitat.’

‘We do not want to lose these trees that take tens or even hundreds of years to replace.’

Council Members for Kensington Gardens & Magill Jo Harvey and Kerry Hallett echoed the mayor’s sentiment.

‘This is an important day for trees and creating awareness in our ward and within Adelaide,’ Jo said.

‘Tree vandalism is not the answer, and it costs you, the ratepayer.’

‘Trees should not die for a few,’ Kerry said.

The installation of the signs follows a recent spate of incidents, including the large Auldana cull, in which members of the community had illegally damaged regulated trees.

On Tuesday, 17 October 2023, the City of Burnside was victorious in gaining a successful conviction in a case before the District Court of Adelaide regarding the illegal felling of a regulated tree. The action, which occurred on 22 November 2022, saw the illegal removal of a River Red Gum or similar eucalyptus by workers employed by All State Tree Works.

Council was fortunate that nearby residents reported the illegal action immediately to the City of Burnside employees who were able to arrive on the scene during the act and gather evidence in a timely manner.

Chris Cowley said those who were caught conducting illegal actions towards regulated trees could expect similar consequences.

‘We want to send a very strong message to any member of the community that is seeking to cause damage to our precious tree canopy that we will pursue you. We will leave no stone unturned and will throw the full weight of the law at anyone we can find guilty of having damaged our tree canopy resource.’

The Auldana reserve site was cleared of up to 50 native trees earlier this year.

New signage has been installed at the site and surrounding area informing locals of the event and requesting assistance in finding those responsible.

Pictured left to right: Cr Mike Daws, Mayor Anne Monceaux, Cr Kerry Hallett, Cr Jo Harvey stand in front of the newly installed Auldana banners.

Want to know more about what's been happening in Burnside recently? Find out more in this edition of Burnside Highlights with Mayor Anne Monceaux.

✅ State Government funding provided to install signage at illegal tree felling site at Auldana North Reserve
✅ Conyngham Street Dog Park works continue, scheduled to be completed in late 2023
✅ Remembrance Day services to be held at Rose Park and Kensington Park
✅ And a special Christmas announcement…

Find out more about what's going on in the City of Burnside at www.engage.burnside.sa.gov.au