Branch danger

By Kath Gannaway
A WARBURTON mother of three, and also a foster carer, has accused the Shire of Yarra Ranges of playing Russian roulette with her own life and that of her family.
“I could be putting my children in the car when one of those limbs drops and they would have a death on their hands,” Marilyn Hand told the Mail last week.
Ms Hand has requested the shire to remove two large gum trees from the nature strip outside her Riverside Drive home.
The shire, however, after several inspections and a referral to the shire’s Tree Taskforce in June, has rejected Mrs Hand’s requests on the basis they are sound and in a “low target value” area.
Ms Hand said the trees she describes as “self pruning” have a proven track record of dropping branches.
She told the Mail she has paid out $1200 in insurance excess for three different claims after branches damaged her car in 1999 and 2005.
When another large limb came down in November, Ms Hand said it was the final blow.
In an email to the shire’s arborist, coordinator trees and bushland, Paul Mechelen, Ms Hand said the branch fell on a windless day without warning not long after her neighbour had finished mowing under it.
“The limb is balancing on the electricity supply wire to her house,” she wrote.
Ms Hand has the support of neighbours Wendy Bergin and Sue Gamble who say the shire is being hypocritical.
“They know these species are known to drop branches and they have acknowledged that by fencing them off at the caravan park,” Ms Bergin said.
“If that tree fell it would flatten my house but my concern is particularly for my neighbour’s safety and for the children. Mal’s car has been hit three times and yet the shire says they are sound.
“Does it have to take a tragedy before they will do something,” she asked.
James Martin, the shire’s manager of community relations, confirmed the shire’s arborist had met with Ms Hand regarding the trees on several occasions and had been inspected following the latest incident.
Mr Martin said the shire believed the trees don’t pose an immediate danger.
“Ms Hand’s concerns are being taken seriously and will be passed on to the shire’s Tree Taskforce for their determination,” Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin said the shire had removed a number of larger branches from the trees, including branches overhanging Ms Hand’s garage.
“There is no sign of decay that would indicate the trees pose an imminent risk,” he said.
He rejected comparisons with the caravan park saying the trees there had been fenced off to ensure campers didn’t set up their tents directly under the trees.
“While there are inherent dangers with camping directly under a tree, no one would argue that because of this all trees pose a risk or should be removed.”
Ms Hand told the Mail she finds no comfort in a second examination by the Tree Taskforce.
“It’s just going to be another rubber stamp. Paul Mechelen says the trees are sound so they just rubber stamp his recommendation,” she said.
“Last time he declared it sound within two days another large limb came down.”
She said the shire’s assessment that they are not in a high risk situation is ludicrous.
“I suppose I can take solace that we’re low target value,” she said.
The Tree Taskforce is scheduled to look at the matter again on 12 December.