Tall Trees Celebration Community Picnic. Peacehaven Botanic Park, Highfields on Saturday 10th October, from 3–5pm. Free, and everyone is welcome.
Toowoomba and Highfields families are invited to spend Saturday afternoon under some of the oldest trees in the district, at a free community picnic celebrating the tall gums of the Toowoomba region, and Highfields as the remaining intact old growth habitat. There will be live music, short talks, kids’ activities and a community sing-along on the lawns near the Stan Kuhl Gum Trees.
Picnic program
3.00pm: Live music from Pat Minns. Kids’ craft with Debbie Tanzer of Roots & Shoots until 3.45pm
3.20pm: Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country with Protect Trees Toowoomba co-chair Holly [surname]
3.25pm: Talks from ornithologist Scot McPhie, founder of the Darling Downs branch of BirdLife, and Toowoomba Regional Councillor Bill Cahill
3.45pm: Ahri Tallon, Protect Trees Toowoomba,
3.50pm: Live music from John
4.00pm: Kids’ treasure hunt
4.10pm: Live music from Jaylin Kimmins
4.30pm: Community singing with Ecopella
5.00pm: Close
A seat on the rug for the Minister
Protect Trees Toowoomba has invited the Deputy Premier and Planning Minister to the picnic. On Thursday 1 October, residents hand-delivered a painted invitation to the offices of local MPs Trevor Watts, Pat Weir and David Janetzki. It asks them to bring the Minister to Highfields but none have confirmed their attendance or willingness to advocate to the Minister to leave getting the balance between tree protections and development to Toowoomba Regional Council who knows our community best.
Toowoomba Regional Council is due to send its draft planning scheme to the Minister for review soon. The Minister can attach conditions to it before residents get to see it at public consultation, which isn’t planned until 2027.
“How our region protects trees like these is about to land on the Minister’s desk,” Ahri said. “We’d love him to sit on a picnic rug in Highfields first, meet the families who live here and see what’s at stake. And we’d love our local MPs to tell us plainly whether their party will let our council’s plan stand.”
“Whether he comes or not, this is our afternoon. Bring a rug, a picnic and the kids. The more of us under these trees on Saturday, the clearer the message.”