Council has once again decided against nominating that the Avenue of Trees be included on State Heritage Register, and some councillors were not happy with the decision.

Council has already delayed accepting the invitation once, requesting more information on what having the avenue registered would entail.

According to Councillor Bob Hooper, registering the trees is not a direction he thinks council should take.

Cr Hooper said he was against registering the trees, as he understood it would mean that control of the trees was taken out of council's hands.

He said he was supported preserving the trees, but he was not in favour of handing control of the avenue to another group.

Mayor Keith Sullivan agreed with Cr Hooper, saying the issue with registering the trees was not preserving them, but the loss of control. He said, for example, there were over-hanging branches in the avenue, if the trees were registered, council would have to seek permission to trim them.

“We hand control to another party,” he said.

But Councillor Ian Doney argued that registering the trees still allows council to maintain them.

“What it means is you can't destroy them. You can still maintain them,” he said.

This view was shared by Councillor Zsuzsanna Handelsmann, who said she understands the trees can be maintained, even if they are on the State Heritage Register.

“It's not a taboo,” she said. “It doesn't mean it can't be touched.”

Cr Doney put across a very passionate case on the merits of registering the trees, and argued that when it comes to discussion of the safety and heritage of the Avenue, council seems to think they are smarter than other groups involved.

“Council seem to think they are smarter than the two arborists, smarter than the RTA, smarter than the Premier’s Department, smarter than the National Trust, and smarter than the State member and the Federal member,” he said.

Cr Doney said he believes council is knocking back the nomination for reasons other than the ones they are stating.

“Your reasons don't hold water,” he said.

Cr Bob O’Bernier also felt council was avoiding getting the trees registered.

“It appears we are looking for reasons not to do this,” he said.

Cr O’Bernier also said it is a heritage item, and that the word ‘heritage’ was used when council was discussing purchasing the football grounds.

There was no further decision regarding the trees once the motion was lost to nominate the Avenue to be registered.