About 250 trees set to be cut down to make way for a new Melbourne bike path could be spared under a last-minute proposal put forward by the state government after a community campaign.
The 1km path, which would connect the new Glen Huntly railway station to other stations, would require the felling of 250 mature trees, including several that are on the council’s classified tree register, on Queens Avenue in Caulfield East.
Victoria’s transport infrastructure minister, Danny Pearson, said an alternative plan has been offered to the local council. A senior bureaucrat intended to discuss it with Glen Eira council, Pearson said in a letter to upper house MP Ryan Batchelor, who has campaigned with the community against the proposal.
Earlier this week, the community began hosting picnics and camping under the trees in an effort to prevent contractors from beginning works, scheduled for later this month.
In the letter, seen by Guardian Australia, Pearson said the government’s Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) authority had put two proposals to the council for the bike path: the existing plan, or an option that would create a separated cycling lane on the road on the opposite side of Queens Avenue.
He said council had expressed a preference for the off-road path before changing its position last week.
“If council seeks to, as has been indicated in an open letter on 2 January 2024, change its position and support option two, the LXRP is able to deliver that option,” Pearson wrote to Batchelor.
“As a result of your advocacy on behalf of residents, LXRP CEO Matt Gault will re-engage with council to further discuss these two options.”
Pearson said the LXRP had been meeting with the council monthly for more than two years to discuss the path and had now finished the level crossing removal work nearby.
“With this in mind, LXRP will require a clear statement of support from council for one of the two options by the end of the month to proceed with delivering this part of the Glen Huntly level crossing removal,” he said.
Batchelor said he welcomed Pearson’s update on the path.
“There is an option to save the trees and deliver the bike path – that would be a win-win for the local community and I encourage the council to support it,” he said.
The deputy mayor of Glen Eira, Simone Zmood, said the council was looking forward to working with the LXRP to achieve the “best possible outcome” for the community and retain more trees.
“Council is pleased to have received the support from the minister and LXRP to pause the current works and review the existing options,” Zmood said.
“Council is confident that together with the community, we can agree on a feasible option over the next few weeks.”
Tamara de Silva, from QueenSAVEtrees group, said she was feeling “chuffed” and “relieved” at the pause after two weeks of campaigning, but added that more information about the second proposal was required before she could support it.
Her neighbour and fellow member, Nicky Willis, said there had been a lack of transparency and community input on the project.
“I have trouble believing there are only two feasible options,” Willis said. “The second sounds better on paper but we still don’t know how many trees will go – will there be 20 or 50 trees removed unnecessarily? If so, that’s problematic.”
