Century-old trees along the edge of Sydney's Centennial Park could be saved by moving the city's new light rail line mere metres, the NSW opposition says.
Labor leader Luke Foley says the light rail can coexist harmoniously with the historic trees if the government considers alternative plans, such as those submitted by Randwick Council.
"It doesn't have to be this way," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"The community can have light rail without the carnage."
Around 50 trees that line Anzac Parade and Alison Road are due to be ripped out to make way for the $2.1 billion project which will connect Randwick to Kensington.
Labor MP Matt Thistlewaite said the Baird government had ignored local council's suggestions for a route that spared the trees - some of which are thought to be 100 years old.
"Randwick Council has provided detailed alternatives to the route in their submission but the government has ignored that submission," Mr Thistlewaite said.
"They haven't even replied to the council."
But Premier Mike Baird rebuffed the accusations earlier on Wednesday, arguing the government had done everything it can "in terms of consultation".
He said significantly more trees would be planted to replace the old ones.
"If there's a small tree ... we're going replace it with two trees, a medium sized tree with four trees and a large tree with eight," he told ABC Radio.
"We are going to try to do it as close as possible to where they have come down."
Residents and environmental activists chained themselves to trees in protest earlier this month but were unsuccessful in stopping the felling.
