Main Roads says ‘exploring options’ to save two 400-year-old trees from axe

By Michael Sinclair-Jones

TWO 400-year-old Toodyay trees listed for destruction on a flora-designated road have become the latest battleground for local environmentalists seeking to limit damage to native vegetation in ongoing upgrades to Toodyay Road.

The two large Powderbark Wandoos stand near the intersection of Toodyay Road and Salt Valley Road, about eight kilometres south of the Toodyay townsite.

A Main Roads WA plan to re-align the intersection to make it safer for traffic includes axing the two trees.

Environmentalists say the trees stand in an area popular with spring wildflower tourists for its abundance of Leschenaultia and red flowering pea bush.

One of the trees (pictured left with local resident Andrew St John ) is estimated to be 420 years old which predates the arrival of Australia’s first European explorers at Cape York in Queensland in 1606 and at WA’s Shark Bay in 1616.

A submission by Safe and Scenic Toodyay Roads group member Elaine Hall to last month’s Toodyay Shire Council meeting said the intersection could be re-aligned without destroying the two trees.

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