AN OLINDA resident has slammed Yarra Ranges Council for not taking down a “problem” tree two years ago that last week fell across the road.
Access to and from six households on McCarthy Road was blocked after the tree collapsed at about 7.20am last Wednesday.
It took down a power line with it, leaving residents without electricity for most of the day.
Baden Franceswilliams, who lives in one of the houses, said he contacted the council in November 2010 to complain the tree, which he said was half dead, top heavy, covered in vines and leaning at a 35 degree angle toward the road.
But Yarra Ranges Council spokesman Troy Edwards said the council sent an arborist, who found no problems with the tree at the time.
“Council inspected the tree in November 2010 and at the time assessed it as not posing any significant risk,” he said.
“In the past two years there has been a variety of weather and other conditions that may have caused the tree to fail.”
Mr Franceswilliams said the council should have conducted preventative maintenance to ensure the tree wouldn’t pose a risk to residents.
“To me, that’s just not good enough, the council needs to change their attitude,” he said.
“Two years ago, we informed the council that that tree was a danger, it didn’t mean it was going to fall that day I rang them, it meant it was going to fall and we’ve just proven that.
“I think the council should’ve listened to me and taken the tree down.
He said because the end of the road was a dead-end, if the tree had fallen on a high fire risk day, the residents would have no escape route and would have been forced to escape on foot.
“There’s only one way in and one way out of the road so if there was something happening, we would be trapped,” he said.
“It would be very hard to leave because it means you would be on foot and you’d have to head down your block and run along the creek.”
Mr Edwards said due to the tree taking down powerlines, Yarra Ranges was powerless to do anything due to safety reasons.
“As it is a roadside tree, council organised to have it removed as soon as possible.
“However, as there were fallen power electricity lines, SP Ausnet needed to fix that before any contractor could remove the tree,” he said.
“While we understand it is frustrating to have the road blocked, Council contractors obviously can’t do anything until the area is made safe.”
Mr Franceswilliams said the council should take residents’ problems more seriously.
“You rectify the problem before it starts – it’s simple, risk management,” he said.
“They’re supposed to represent us, the people, not themselves.”
