By Bonny Burrows
Dozens of oak trees have been bulldozed in Nar Nar Goon to make way for the new Pakenham East train maintenance depot.
The trees, along the aptly titled Oakview Lane, were removed and their acorns collected on Tuesday to prepare the site for construction, much to the dismay of local residents who described the trees as “iconic”.
But project contractor Evolution Rail (ER) quickly reassured the community that every effort had been made to minimise the project’s environmental impact, promising for “every tree removed on site, at least two new trees will be planted”.
“All trees identified for removal have been assessed by an independent ecology and heritage specialist as having negligible environmental or heritage value,” an Evolution Rail spokesman said.
The spokesman said acorns were collected to be propagated by a local nursery, before being distributed to local schools as part of a community environmental legacy initiative.
The state-funded depot will include a maintenance facility and stabling yard for up to 30 new high-capacity metro trains, made from 87 per cent local content and bringing with it 100 ongoing jobs.
