Where do you stand when a neighbour's tree sheds its bark, leaves - and occasionally limbs - into your yard?
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That's the question Bega couple Eunice and John Allen are asking after reportedly getting nowhere with council on a troublesome eucalypt.
After last week's windy weather, the backyard of the elderly couple's home, as well as that of their 85-year-old neighbour, is a mess of bark strips and leaves - it'd be hard to take a step and not miss tripping or slipping on them there is so much Ms Allen said.
The mess comes from a large eucalypt that reaches high and wide not only over the fence of its own property but also the laneway that divides it from neighbours before dropping its load on the Allens.
Ms Allen said as she is getting on in years and her husband has multiple medical conditions and requires significant levels of care, neither are in any position to be performing branch lopping or regular yard and roof clearing. Nor is their neighbour, who Ms Allen said worried about using her backyard for fear of slipping on the bark and leaves.
"This is the worst I've seen it," Ms Allen said.
"It's always dropping leaves, but when the wind blows it brings down bark and branches - there's even some on the other side of the house in the front yard.
"I need to pay to have my gutters and yard cleaned.
"But as the tree is on private property the council is not prepared to do anything," she said.
Ms Allen said a previous clean-up job of a tree that fell from the same property across the lane breaking both fences saw council staff remove the portion blocking Blackett Lane but leaving the rest - "again it was a private property matter".
In that instance the neighbour whose tree it was fixed it up and paid to repair the Allens' fence.
However, another tree still overhangs Blackett Lane causing issues she said.
Ms Allen also claimed motorists who know the lane now avoid it for fear of damaging their vehicles on the overhanging branches.
Council's Environment and Sustainability Team said it is aware of the issue "and is considering options in developing an outcome that addresses the concerns of the affected residents and road users and the rights of private property owners".
Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
