Wyndham council said it was “disappointed” it was not informed of tree removal works by Oreana Group on council land.
Council said a number of trees were removed without “prior permission” on land near the site for the Riverwalk Town Centre in Werribee.
“The contractor responsible – the Oreana Group – will be charged an amenity fee in accordance with Council’s Tree and Urban Forest Policy (2021),” Wyndham council’s planning and liveability director Peter McKinnon said.
“[We] will work closely with the Oreana Group to ensure an enhanced landscape plan is submitted and approved to compensate for the removal of the trees.”
A spokesperson for Oreana Group said the trees were removed by a subcontractor who was not authorised to cut them down after deeming them a safety risk and of little value.
“An Oreana subcontractor has removed a few trees on Wyndham City Council land during the course of the permitted removal of trees within the Riverwalk Town Centre site for the delivery of the new shopping centre,” the Orenana Group spokesperson said.
“The tree removalist, who was not authorised by Oreana to take the trees on the council land, did so after assessing that the trees posed a safety hazard to the public and were of low-ecological value.”
The spokesperson said Oreana Group had engaged with council to explain what transpired and understands there will be a fine issued for the unauthorised tree removal.
“Oreana would like to state that a permit was not required to remove trees from within the Riverwalk Town Centre site as this has always been envisioned under the planning scheme endorsed for the site by both Development Victoria and the Wyndham City Council,” the spokesperson said.
Once completed, Riverwalk Town Centre will include a range of commercial and retail uses, as well as a mix of townhouses.
