Maybe I have got it wrong but didn't people protest against its removal back in March 2014 with chants of "shame, Shoalhaven Council, shame, Joanna Gash, shame"?

To accept an invitation to unveil what is left of this iconic tree is just arrogance. 

The Mayor should at least, if asked to speak, apologise to those protesters that might attend as to the destruction of this tree and its inhabitants.

"Shame, Joanna Gash, Shame."

It’s a strange, uncomfortable world where we are encouraged to laugh at environmental destruction in a community fun day at Shoalhaven Heads in a tasteless ceremony where the Mayor unrobes the carcass of the great 400-year-old bum tree. It begs the question: what values we are teaching our children? 

Shoalhaven City Council's chainsawing of 140 roadside trees at Seven Mile Beach, of which the bum tree was the largest, and the destruction of habitat, killing wildlife and fragmenting fragile vegetation was an act to reflect on, not poke fun at, and it caused enormous heartache for many of us. 

This huge tree existed at least 200 years before white settlement in the Shoalhaven and deserved to be respected, not only as a forest giant and home to wildlife but as a part of our heritage. 

Now Mayor Gash wants to ‘normalise’ this unnecessary destruction and present it all as a joke by performing an ‘unrobing' ceremony. 

I am dumbfounded that Mayor Gash would celebrate this destruction so insensitively and trivialise it in the manner proposed in Friday’s paper.

It just shows how out of touch she is.   

Please don’t normalise the destruction of our environment and don’t trivialise our heritage, Joanna. You’re sending the wrong message. Teach our kids to care, not to be indifferent. 

I would like to highlight to your readers that 993 people have drowned in a river, creek or stream in the past 13 years. This makes rivers the leading location for drowning in Australia. 

All types of people are drowning in rivers from young children to the elderly.

What is most alarming is that almost three quarters of people who drowned in rivers, were close to their home and a majority were male. 

So why are so many drowning in our local rivers? 

The flat, still surface of a river, gives a false sense of security. You can’t see ice cold water, snags like tree branches or strong currents but they can be lethal. 

Dangerous activities such as consuming alcohol, driving through floodwaters and not wearing a lifejacket are also adding to the alarming figures.

To lose a loved one so close to home when it could have been prevented is heartbreaking.  

People need to act responsibly around rivers and avoid any behaviour that may increase the risk of drowning.  

Royal Life Saving Society – Australia has launched a campaign to save lives on Australian rivers and is asking when enjoying our rivers to please remember to: always wear a lifejacket, avoid alcohol around water, never swim alone and learn lifesaving skills

It’s simple, respect the river

To get more information readers can go to www.royallifesaving.com.au/respecttheriver.