Problem Gum Tree

I live next door to a council owned park, about 15 years ago the council planted some Ghost Gums in the par next to my fence. Despite assurances that these were to be 'small Trees' they have turned out to be large trees and have caused havoc with the foundations of my garage.

The council very obligingly took two of the trees out and the supervisor suggested that I lodge an insurance claim with the council for underpinning.

The underpinning contractors all suggested that there should be one other tree removed, to my surprise when I contacted council regarding this, I was informed by the same supervisor that the two trees that had been removed were done as a favor to me and it was not council policy to remove healthy trees, they would only remove sick trees.

I suspect that this change comes about because I made an insurance claim against the council. I love politics and a?se covering but I have all conversations documented and before and after pictures.

My problem however is how do I make a healthy Ghost Gum become sick without any obvious cause? If I put poison on the ground, it can be discovered by a soil analysis.

Copper nails have been suggested they take a few years to make the tree sick and the nails would grow over.

Any one have any suggestions?

Phil

seems to me that council has already taken responsibility of a problem by removing the trees in the first place.
Admitting guilt.
Consult a lawyer and get a letter written up.
Sometimes that can scare the ???? out of them.

I wouldnt touch the tree.
Anything may harm your insurance claim.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bugsy

seems to me that council has already taken responsibility of a problem by removing the trees in the first place.
Admitting guilt.
Consult a lawyer and get a letter written up.
Sometimes that can scare the ???? out of them.

I wouldnt touch the tree.
Anything may harm your insurance claim.

---

Probably right I have a good solicitor, might mention it to my ward councilor.

Ghost Gums are a big tree, pretty with their white smooth bark, but not suitable for urban areas near houses.

Someone could say that a few small chip could be made into the tree a few metres up from the bottom, a hole drilled into the trunk, filled with glyphosate and the chip folded back over the hole would eventually kill it, but I wont be the one to say it...

Depends if they do an analysis of the poison in the wood too

You don't really need to make the tree sick, the lawyer can make the Council, the CEO, and the Councillor's sick instead. That is far more likely to produce results. And of course your insurance company can help to distribute the sick feeling, because they can afford more servants (lawyers) than you can probably, and they hate paying out when they can make someone else do it instead.

Oh, and since you have raised the matter previously, if anything happens to the tree, short of it getting flattened by a low flying Jumbo jet, with the whole incident recorded by at least 3 TV stations, you are going to be the prime suspect anyway.

Now tell me that you have lot's of friends in the TV news ares, and you're a Jumbo pilot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by malb

You don't really need to make the tree sick, the lawyer can make the Council, the CEO, and the Councillor's sick instead. That is far more likely to produce results. And of course your insurance company can help to distribute the sick feeling, because they can afford more servants (lawyers) than you can probably, and they hate paying out when they can make someone else do it instead.

Oh, and since you have raised the matter previously, if anything happens to the tree, short of it getting flattened by a low flying Jumbo jet, with the whole incident recorded by at least 3 TV stations, you are going to be the prime suspect anyway.

Now tell me that you have lot's of friends in the TV news ares, and you're a Jumbo pilot.

---

There is another issue with these trees, they have been planted right next to children's play equipment, when they reach full maturity they will overhang this play equipment giving shade and a target for branches when they drop.

Being a public minded sort if the unthinkable should happen I would be obliged to hand over all correspondence to the police/coroner/insurance company.

Think I should mention this to my ward councilor next week when I meet her at the ward function that she invited me to.

Phil

I think any community minded citizen would have to co-operate with the authorities in a post incident situation. And of course, these those friends of yours with the media connections who would love copies too.

Of course, there is also the possibility that some other community minded citizen made a complaint about the removal of the first two trees, resulting in the helpfull person having his bum bitten, and rendering them permanently unhelpfull.

For playground shade there are lots of true dwarf eucalypts that are happy to stay in the 5m x 3m bracket. This should contain their root spread.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phil Spencer

I live next door to a council owned park, about 15 years ago the council planted some Ghost Gums in the par next to my fence. Despite assurances that these were to be 'small Trees' they have turned out to be large trees and have caused havoc with the foundations of my garage.

---

Ghost Gums, small ?
they go through a small stage on their way to the large stage !
I would hope that the tree expert was transfered to another council job !

My reply is similar to another but I would do it underground.

Have a scratch around on your property and if you can find a fair sized root bore a 15mm hole in it and regularly top it up with neat glyphosate poison. It might take a couple of months but will eventually kill the tree.

Just dont get caught.