Neighbours call for course clean-up

By Bridget Brady
THE Cranbourne Golf Club has defended claims it has failed to maintain trees and shrubs in the wake of a close call on Black Saturday.
General manager Sean Constable told the News he had about a dozen calls from worried residents after 7 February who wanted pine trees and shrubs removed from Golf Club Road.
Fire broke out along the South Gippsland Highway near the golf club during the devastating weekend and came close to residents’ homes and the clubrooms.
“The trees have been there as long as the golf club has been there. It’s not like they have come along after the houses,” Mr Constable said.
“We just don’t rip out trees unless they are sick. We could pull all of the trees out, but my guess is some residents love them as well.
“Are they going to rip out every tree in Victoria because we’ve had a close call? We maintain them as we see fit … we don’t do nothing.”
Cranbourne North resident Jacqui Quigley said her home had no chance of surviving if the pine trees caught fire.
Ms Quigley said the undergrowth around the trees needed to be cleaned up, and she wanted her community to organise a fire plan after their scare.
“It’s a shame it takes something like this to bring the community together,” Ms Quigley said.
Resident Maria Allport said she did not want the trees to be removed, but wanted the area tidied.
“The golf club has been very receptive with our requests in the past, but it should never have come to this,” Ms Allport said.
“We want it cleaned up so if anything like this ever happens again we stand a better chance.”
The residents organised a barbecue on the street after the hectic day to thank those who helped out and to arrange a better fire plan for the community.
They raised $500 for the victimsof the Narre Warren fires who werenot as lucky. “We should all know where the fire hydrants are and be a bit more aware of what we can do around our homes.”
Ms Quigley said she wanted to organise regular working bees along her street, Loganberry Close, to clean up any fire hazards.