Tree action smooths path to happiness

By Casey Neill

Casey council replaced the entire Wills Court footpath following resident complaints about a trouble-making tree.
The Journal News reported in March that Dora Messina was calling on the council to remove destructive gum trees from the nature strip outside her Endeavour Hills home.
She said the “two huge gums” were “starting to be a real pain” and she’d asked the council to remove them several times over the past 20 years.
She said that branches had fallen into her property, leaves had blocked her gutters, and roots were lifting her retaining wall and the footpath.
Ms Messina said the council had since “lifted all the footpaths in our court”.
“They dug up any roots under our footpath and replaced the footpath to the whole court,” she said.
“They topsoiled the nature strip and sowed some lawn seeds.”
She said workers cut back all the branches that were overhanging onto her property, too.
“Hopefully we will not have any more branches dropping onto our garden,” she said.
Ms Messina said removing the trees completely was her preferred option but she was happy with the result.
The Journal News reported in March that after lodging a complaint, she received a letter from the council requesting more information to process a claim for compensation.
She said that information included a geotechnical report, an engineer report or and a plumbing report substantiating reasons for the structural damage.
“We don’t really want to claim anything, we just want them to do something,” she said.
“It shouldn’t be on us.
“It’s not our property, it’s the council property.”
City of Casey city presentation manager David Richardson said at the time that the council had previously attended and repaired the footpath in question.
“The resident contacted council in relation to damage on private property, and the council has sent out the necessary forms to make the claim,” he said.
“As the resident has claimed the damage was caused/contributed to by council trees, the resident needs to supply the relevant information to substantiate the claim.”