By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Thousands of pest gum-trees lining the streets of Timbarra Estate, Berwick continue to plague residents despite a renewal plan by Casey Council.
Up to 6000 towering Wallangarra White Gums are dropping branches and piles of leaves, killing lawns and garden beds and lifting and cracking footpaths and homes, residents say.
Casey Council’s removal program of 100 trees each year is not extensive enough, they say. They want the “monsters” gone.
Alan Richardson, who lives in Theodore Terrace, led a campaign against the trees in 2014. Half of the trees were removed in his terrace, but he says it’s time to drum up an estate-wide petition to finish the job.
“They’re just not the right type of tree. They drop leaves continually, no grass can grow under them, they clog up the spouting, flood roofs and burst water pipes.
“It’s only by the Grace of God they haven’t dropped a big beam on someone’s head.
“Most people like trees – trees that are suitable for a housing area. These are not.
“They are just monsters.”
Mr Richardson said the trees also sucked the moisture out of the estate’s clay soils, causing subsidence and cracking in homes.
This is exactly what John and Mirjana Jovanovic claim has happened to their substantially-cracked home walls.
Their house in Coolabah Grove is about 10 metres from the nearest gum tree.
Yet they say the marauding root system has killed their front lawn as well as a rose and lavender garden, and cracked their home driveway and living room walls.
The wall cracks inside are several centimetres wide and up to two metres long – and growing.
At Casey Council’s request, the Jovanovics provided an engineer’s report to substantiate their claims last year. The council however concluded the gum trees weren’t the cause of the problem.
A Casey Council underground inspection found minimal tree roots under the front lawn, sheeting no blame on the gum trees. Two smaller trees on the front nature strip were instead removed.
The couple had no idea of the dramas when they moved into the estate 10 years ago.
“We can’t see this house to some young couple and then give them this problem.”
Across the road, Lisa and Nick Pietro Paolo have watched their once-immaculate front garden and lawn slowly drain of life.
Their guttering has been damaged due to thick leaf blockage, the trees are thought to have caused water and gas main bursts in the street.
Old photos show a level lawn, path and nature strip from 17 years ago. These days, the terrain is undulating, the footpath lifted by about 20 centimetres.
The couple have given up trying to save their patchy lawn and front garden from the thirsty trees.
Mr Pietro Paolo has taken to hacking away the visible root system spreading towards his front patio.
“People used to comment that it was the nicest estate they’d seen.
“And now you’re just embarrassed bringing them around here now.”
The trees were planted by the Urban Land Authority on behalf of the State Government when the estate was established more than 20 years ago.
Casey Council which is responsible for the trees has started work on a street tree precinct plan for stages 1 and 2 of the estate, and has a “proactive tree renewal program” for the entire estate.
City presentation manager David Richardson said the council responded to resident concerns in 2014 and had since removed more than 100 trees a year in Timbarra.
“For those established trees that are yet to be replaced, Council conducts regular maintenance.
“This program seeks to balance the need to replace the trees with the maintenance of the tree canopy; a feature … that residents have told us provides it with its distinctive character.”
