CAPALABA residents Beryl and Jim Batchelor fear a big eucalypt on council land two metres from their fence will soon kill someone with falling limbs unless it is trimmed back or cut down.
Ms Batchelor said a large limb fell from the tree last month, damaging their fence.
“I contacted council and they said it was an act of God,” she said. “They aren’t going to do anything about it.
“We have to pay to have the fence fixed ourselves.”
Ms Batchelor said she had been battling with council for years over the tree.
“I first wrote to Cr Paul Gleeson in 2011 but he didn’t do anything,” she said.
“The tree’s a monstrous thing and we are always concerned when we are working under it in the garden.”
She said council had inspected the tree but found it in good condition and had declined to remove it because it was part of a wildlife corridor.
“We haven’t seen a koala in there for 10 years,” Ms Batchelor said.
A council spokesperson said officers had assessed the eucalypt and all the trees in the Lawlor Reserve several times, maintaining them as required.
She said an arborist had assessed the tree on October 2.
“From that assessment council has engaged a contractor to do an additional aerial inspection of the tree and remedial work will be undertaken to mitigate future limb failure,” she said.
“This will include dead wood removal and general pruning to reduce the tree’s weight and wind loading, a factor in the recent limb failure.
“Council is currently seeking quotes from external contractors qualified to undertake the work.”
She said the tree was healthy, structurally sound and considered low risk.
Mr Batchelor said he used to be in wood chopping and the tree had hollows and ant infestations, making it dangerous.
The tree was in the Lawlor Reserve on Ney Road, Capalaba.
Ms Batchelor said she had sought legal advice and taken the issue to the State Ombudsman.
”I am not the only one not happy with the council who seem to have no common sense at all,” she said.
