By Ethan Benedicto
While gum trees may not spell the most annoyance for the general public, it has proven itself to a real nuisance for over six years to retirees at Levande Retirement Village in Clyde North.
The village, tucked into a little corner between Selandra Rise Shopping Centre and Berwick-Cranbourne Road, may seem like a quaint little getaway.
While it adheres to that notion, the homes backed onto Karabir Street are on a different page, where the gum trees outside the village’s fences rain down leaves, bark, branches, and gumnuts into the properties.
Geoff and Yinny Wright, whose property backs onto the trees, said that “we want them chopped”.
“Because we’re getting older and older, it’s getting harder to swipe every time; and when we do, it’s like a bucket.”
The neighbouring couple, Frank and Christina Jacobs, are on the same page, and that cutting of trimming the branches simply wouldn’t be enough.
“These trees are beautiful; they’re beautiful in the bush, but not in the suburbs,” Frank said.
“Not in here, they’re bush trees, you know? We can’t keep up with them anymore.”
This series of events isn’t new, however, with Geoff featuring in a Star News article back in 2019 with the same issue in mind.
Then, the Wright couple were concerned about the roots of the tree extending further into their property and eventually uprooting near their backyard.
Observing the pavement on the sidewalk cracking due to the roots, Geoff said that he has been told before by Casey Council that “they won’t go underneath the fence, but they already are”.
The City of Casey’s manager of infrastructure and open spaces, Sairam Jegatheeswaran, said that the “council acknowledges the concerns raised by residents regarding the street trees along Karabair Street”.
“We have organised for an arborist to inspect the trees, and any necessary works will be undertaken.”
Both couples have been dealing with a large amount of leaves, torn-off branches and a sizeable amount of bark that land on their properties.
Their biggest concerns are with their gutters, as leaves and bark prove to be some of the more prominent adversaries to the water’s proper flow.
“When it becomes windy, everything’s just in our backyard, and every morning, and around three times a day after that, we’re just sweeping,” Yinny said.
“These days we don’t even sweep or clean them up anymore, it’s too difficult.”
As a collective, the two couples agree that perhaps if they were younger, the issue wouldn’t be as prominent, “but they’re still a nuisance”.
“I’ll clean my gutters when I can, but it’s getting more difficult, and we’re not young anymore,” Geoff said.
This story is developing, and more information will be added once available.
