THE remains of a 500-year-old jarrah cut down by Main Roads earlier this year have been recolonised by bees, and another new hive is humming away in a nearby tree.

The department copped a storm of criticism when it axed the ancient tree after a single complaint about the bees from a Coolbellup resident, with arborists saying it was healthy and the hive could have simply been moved. It later emerged the department’s axeman, who’d claimed the tree was in poor health, wasn’t a registered arboriculturist.

The martyred tree was hailed “one of Cockburn’s most ancient and significant heritage jarrahs” by Cockburn council which has now added another 446 jarrah, tuart and marri gums to its significant tree list to try and protect them.

Many were recommended by the Save Beeliar Wetlands environmental group.

• A bee stands guard at the entrance to the new hive. Photo by Trilokesh Chanmugam

The corridor of trees stretches through Bibra Lake Reserve and Beeliar Regional Park, and is believed to provide habitat for threatened Carnaby’s black cockatoos as well as several other species.

It’s also along the path of the looming Roe 8 highway extension.

The register doesn’t provide legal protection for trees, but the council wants developers to seek special permission before removing any.

“What it does do is put a special value for these trees on the community,” says Kate Kelly, Save Beeliar Wetlands’ convenor.

Cockburn’s planning director Daniel Arndt hopes trees’ listing will convey their importance to Main Roads and the Barnett government. All but two of the 114 submissions the council received about the listing were from supporters.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM