Stumped by tree

By Kath Gannaway
MYSTERY surrounds the disappearance over the weekend of a log on the Black Spur which has raised the ire of Marysville and Buxton residents over the past six weeks.
The log was the remains of a large tree which fell across Maroondah Highway between Healesville and Fernshaw in mid-February.
It had been cut off within centimetres of the bitumen and, according to regular Spur commuters, represented not only a danger to motorists, but, at best, a frightening lack of common sense and at worst, an appalling laziness on the part of VicRoads.
The Mail contacted VicRoads on Thursday after Buxton commuter John Kennedy said the tree stump presented a danger to motorists and that he was astounded to see that a warning sign had been attached two weeks after the tree fell.
“Was it cheaper to have the responsible tree person drive up to attach the sign, rather than finish the job?” he wanted to know.
And, “How could this be allowed to happen?”
Marysville resident Mary Kenealy described the situation as “an absolute classic”.
“All they had to do is use the chainsaw one more time, but to then put an arrow on it and just leave it there, it’s just a total lack of common sense.”
Another Buxton resident, Ray Donkin, said the black and white arrow sign had clearly been placed on the log to alert motorists. “How bloody stupid is that?” was his rhetorical question.
A VicRoads spokeswoman initially told the Mail on Thursday that VicRoads recognised that there were a number of stumps that could pose a potential hazard on the Maroondah Highway at the Black Spur.
“VicRoads has submitted a bid for State Government funding for the next financial year to remove these stumps. If successful work will be done early in the next financial year,” she said.
On Friday another spokeswoman elaborated that this funding was for a general program of stump removal, but said the particular ‘signed’ stump had not been assessed, but that a team would go out on Monday to have a look.
“That’s a good result,” she said.
“Something has been brought to our attention and we’re going to have a look at it. That’s how the process should work … nice and quickly.”
Mr Kennedy’s suggestion that a public working bee was needed to fix the problem, was, in the end, not required.
“It was gone by Sunday night; obviously removed by a backhoe or front-end loader,” he told the Mail on Monday.
VicRoads also said on Monday morning that the log could not be found.
“We had a team out there at 8.30 this morning and after driving up and down a number of times they can’t find anything.
“There is a rock with a curve alignment sign on it but that’s not a warning sign,” the spokeswoman said.
Had VicRoads removed it over the weekend?
“It certainly wasn’t us,” she said “We would not be sending them up there on the weekend.”
Just who did remove the tree stump remains a mystery but the concerns of Mr Kennedy, and others, remain.
“In this litigious community the cost of public liability claims is a significant burden to private and public sectors alike.
“How could this have been allowed to happen?” he said.