It may be in the best interests of the strata committee and the strata manager but whether or not it’s in the best interests of the Owners corp can only be determined by the owners at a general meeting.
This is a commonly used tactic to try to deflect opposition to a plan – refusing mediation means you now have to take it to the tribunal.
However, in so doing, it opens the door for you to do that – you only need to have attempted mediation – and at the same time you can for an interim order to prevent them from going ahead with the removal of the plants and trees.