By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A BERWICK woman is pleading for her voice to be heard – after more than a year of campaigning for her eroded nature strip to be fixed.
Tracey McPherson wrote to the City of Casey in September last year after the nature strip where she lives in Cedarwood Crescent, made from granitic sand, had deteriorated significantly following heavy rain.
“It’s an absolute disaster, no-one can walk down the side of the street. It’s just dangerous,” Ms McPherson said, adding she was forced to set up pit covers at the front of her house.
“The nature strip is sand gravel, so it’s always a bit loose, but it was a lot better than what it is now.
“Every time it rains, more washes away.”
After months of consultation with council officers and a visit from Cr Mick Morland in January, Ms McPherson was hopeful repairs to the sidewalk would get the green light.
But after a council evaluation which estimated the collective repairs on the crescent’s nature strips would cost over $4000, the City of Casey told Ms McPherson it could not justify the expense.
Ms McPherson argued the Cedarwood Crescent residents shouldn’t be expected to foot the bill.
“The financial burden of repairing the nature strip is huge and one landowner cannot make improvements unless all of the others do,” Ms McPherson said.
“The drainage is appalling and really needs an engineer to make sure the nature strip does not wash away to the bottom of the street. Most of it ends up on the road, again making it a hazard to local road users.”
Earlier this year Ms McPherson organised a petition which was signed by owners of the other properties in Cedarwood Crescent affected by the erosion.
City of Casey parks and reserves manager Trevor Griffin said Cedarwood Crescent was initially constructed by developers to accommodate display homes.
“At that time, the developer constructed some granitic sand nature strips in place of grass and they have not been maintained by the subsequent property owners,” he said.
“It is each property owner’s responsibility to maintain their own nature strip. The council is not responsible for funding the removal and disposal of the granitic sand, replacement of top soil and seeding for these nature strips.
“The council will, however, undertake any works required to ensure there are no trip hazards.”
