King George Avenue V Tamworth working group meets

One has a background in agriculture, another has horticultural experience – but all the members of the new King George V Avenue working group have campaigned for the iconic road’s preservation.

Group spokesman David McKinnon said the committee would ensure council remained invested in the project.

“This committee is passionate about this avenue, and that is what’s going to drive and give it the energy to make a lot of things happen quickly,” he said.

“Council staff change all of the time, so there will be knowledge gaps – well there will not be knowledge gaps between the passionate committee that’s been appointed, to carry it smoothly through.”

The first item on the group’s agenda is a replacement program for the trees.

“There are trees that need replacement, but we need advanced ones,” Mr McKinnon said.

“At the moment we don’t have that. The trees are very slow growing.

“This management plan is a 50-year program, it will out see all of the members who are here now.”

Council’s planning director Peter Thompson said the avenue was a community asset, and while council was the custodian, there was a great “sense of ownership by the community”.

“It’s about getting the community participating in decisions before they are made,” Mr Thompson said.

“It would be wrong of us to sit in a room with a closed door and not have the community there as we decide what’s the replacement program going to be, where are we going to procure these trees from, what are the generics of the trees going to be.”

Council and the work group are looking into taking ownership of a Crown Lands road that runs off avenue to the river, which is also lined with the historic trees.

Tamworth mayor Col Murray said the group, which would meet three times a year, had a key role to play in ensuring the avenue of English Oak trees thrives in the years ahead.

“King George V Avenue has been a much-loved landmark for many years and now has State-wide recognition with its listing on the NSW State Heritage Register,” he said.

“It’s good news we have taken another step forward in protecting the trees, some of which are 81 years old.”

Council submitted the King George V Avenue Conservation Management Plan to the NSW Heritage Council earlier this year. While awaiting its endorsement, Council is able to proceed with the proposed actions set out in the plan.

Last month, Council welcomed the announcement of $30,000 in funding under the State Government’s Heritage Grants Program to implement stage 1 of the King George V Avenue Conservation Management Plan.