A COPSE of endangered trees in Glenwood may be felled to make way for a football field.
The trees, which are on the Department of Environment's endangered list, will be cut down so that the football field at Foreman Avenue, Glenwood, can be extended and residents are outraged.
Bob McKay lives close to the proposed development site and said the trees, which are part of the Cumberland Plain woodland, are just one of the neighbourhood's concerns.
``The primary objections that residents have are a lack of notification, the loss of the trees, the fact that council don't intend to put more parking in, and the fact that they've just built another two soccer fields in front of the Glenwood shopping centre, which we now find out could have accommodated four soccer fields,'' he said.
When the council's plans became known last September, Mr McKay approached the Blacktown and District Environment Group, which told him the trees were part of the Cumberland Plain woodland and listed as critically endangered since December.
However, an independent flora and fauna survey commissioned by the council stated that the trees were ``insignificant''.
``We asked council for a copy of that survey, which they've declined,'' Mr McKay said.
``One can only say `well, you've given us the original plans, you've given us the revised plans, why won't you give us the flora and fauna survey?' Quite frankly, I smell a rat.''
Mr McKay said he and others were still rallying residents and to let them know what happened.
``From my own trekking about, the outrage is quite widespread,'' he said.
Residents met council representatives in January 19 and were told the new field, had been promised to the Redback football team.
The team told the residents it had said it needed facilities, but said it was unaware of the extension or that the council had earmarked it for its use.
The council originally promised to plant two trees for every mature tree cut down in the course of the development.
But Mr McKay saw a mass planting opposite his street in 2003, and said none of the trees had survived.
``I fear the council's two for one is going to go the same way, although when we met them they had suddenly changed their mind and said `for every mature tree we're going to plant 11','' he said.
``That calculates out at roughly 14,500 trees, and if they put 14,500 trees in there's not going to be enough room for the football field anyway.''
Angela Kyral and her husband Jarda live in Honeyeater Terrace, which is also across from the proposed development, and say this is especially true when Sydney Water owns and maintains the adjoining land.
Mrs Kyral said Sydney Water had pipes in the land and would not be happy if the root systems affected the pipes.
``It's just crazy in this day and age to chop down an established forest like that,'' she said.
Mr Kyral walks through the trees every day on his way to work in Lexington Drive and says the trunks are already marked to be cleared.
He said the removal of the trees would make a big impact.
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