THE sound of chainsaws felling mature trees at Hilton Park this week has brought home the reality of Fremantle council’s decision to make way for a junior AFL oval.

Local campaigner Kajsa Adams described watching the trees come down as “devastating”, saying residents had been visiting the park throughout the day to see what was happening, with a small core group of protesters on site to see the first lot disappear into the mulched.

• Kajsa Adams watches on as the chainsaws get to work.

“There has been a lot of people coming throughout the day and seeing what it is, and the people were saying this is just devastating. Why are people doing this?”

The Herald reported in August that 26 mature trees, including six towering Norfolk Island pines, were earmarked for removal, with the council later agreeing to spare three trees.

Ms Adams said some residents had not realised the scale of the proposed clearing, despite the plans being available for public consultation.

She pointed to the short gap between the initial place plan, released on May 16, 2024, and a master plan showing the oval, released for comment on May 31.

“They didn’t say that some trees meant that many trees,” she said.

by STEVE GRANT