The palm trees along the highway in Blaxland could soon be replaced with native trees under a new master plan for the village set to go on public exhibition.
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The tree replacement is one of several proposed updates to the 2018 Blaxland master plan, approved by the council at its September 26 meeting, along with a central piazza or town square, underground car parking, and a new public domain plan.
Part of the updated plan includes the removal of Blaxland's Canary Island Date Palms, which were originally purchased and planted by the then Roads and Traffic Authority in November 2000 as part of a Great Western Highway upgrade.
The introduction of the palm trees caused controversy nearly 23 years ago, with Blue Mountains Gazette letter writers decrying them as looking "completely out of place", "bloody stupid", and a magnet for "cockroaches, Indian mynas and starlings".
Mayor Mark Greenhill - then just a Ward 4 councillor - said at the time: "I think these palm trees look really strange and many residents agree with me."
Costing $8,900 each in 2000, he said the council is now able to sell them to cover the costs of replacing them with native trees - possibly even making some profit.
"We didn't pay for it... but now that they're ours we can sell them, and we can pocket any of the cash that comes from them and use it to buy mature, native, local species to replace them with," he told the Gazette.
"It's certainly not going to cost us money, there will be no waste of or loss of money in this venture."
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Regarding building height, the plan confirms that the maximum height of two-to-three storeys listed in the Local Environment Plan 2015 will apply to the Blaxland plan.
But an additional 'Incentive Clause' will allow for buildings up to four storeys "when specific public benefit and design quality outcomes are met".
Cr Mark Greenhill said the updates are part of a step towards Blaxland appearing more like Lawson, and less like "far north Queensland".
"The centrepiece includes council undergrounding its car park and creating a piazza at the back of the shops, incentives for landlords to turn the town around away from the highway," Cr Greenhill said.
"Piazza will be a green space with shading, trees, seating, with cafes and similar businesses around it.
"Ultimately it is a matter for the community. Whether they want this vision or not, it's now over to the people."
Details of the palm tree removal and other upgrades listed above will be included in a public domain plan slated for 2024-2026. For more information see the Blaxland Master plan on the council website (Enclosures to Item 9).
