Another pine on course for plans

Erin Pearson
A SECOND memorial pine tree is hampering a golf club redevelopment in the Geelong region.
A week after the Independent reported a lone pine was standing in the way of Woolworths’ bid to redevelop part of the former Geelong Golf Club site, Legacy has revealed another of the tribute trees is on the RACV’s Torquay course.
Legacy said Torquay Golf Club’s pine stands where the RACV plans to build a five-storey motel.
RACV bought the course from the club with plans for a $90 million redevelopment.
Both trees are direct descendants of Gallipoli’s Lone Pine, and pay tribute to the thousands of soldiers who were lost in World War One.
Geelong Legacy’s Des Downey said the organisation and community were concerned about the Torquay tree amid plans to relocate the pine.
“The lone pine around Australia has become a symbol of heroism, so it’s a living memorial to the people who lost their lives in war,” he said.
“You could argue that a tree’s only a tree but it’s symbolic.”
RACV confirmed its plan to move the tree.
Executive general manager Sue Blake said the relocation to a “new and prominent location” would be part of a tree and shrub upgrade.
Geelong Legacy Club president Elizabeth North hoped the relocation would breathe new life into the memorial.
“The tree’s importance needs to be explained to more people, to the younger generations, so people understand why we get so upset about these things,” she said.