YOUNGSTERS living at Westgate Gardens in Morningside have appealed to local ward councillor Martin Meyer to save a tree they like to climb on the property from being cut down.
According to Meyer, he had stopped at Westgate Gardens council flats when a group of children no older than 10 approached him.
“They gave me a very serious petition on why the Parks Department, which had inspected the property and earmarked some trees to be cut down, should not cut down their climbing tree. Their reasons were all pretty good so I promised I’d take it up with Parks and get back to them in the first week of January,”he said.
Meyer said the youngsters had also appealed to have the Mango tree cut, “but their reason was pretty weak – so we can get to the mangos!” “When I told them that trees give us oxygen the one boy quite angrily told me, “no uncle, it’s a Mango tree not an Oxygen tree!”
Meyer said he had been informed that there was a white ant infestation in the area but said he would approach the Parks Department and ask if it was possible to save the boys’ climbing tree. “I am very happy to see the children are taking an interest and petitioning me,” he said.
Meyer said if the tree couldn’t be saved, he would request Parks plant fast growing trees to replace it.