By Mikayla van Loon
Councillors have voted to overturn a recommended motion which would have seen eight trees remain on council land in Mount Evelyn despite resident concerns.
Instead the eight trees will be removed after resident from the neighbouring property, Vanessa Walton, pleaded with Yarra Ranges Council to protect her family.
Having had a tree from the council land fall onto her Hereford Road house in the 9 June storm last year, the mother of two raised the ongoing impacts it had had on her family.
“Basically I’m here to uphold my maternal responsibility to protect my kids and look after their physical and psychological wellbeing,” she said.
“I’m here because without eight additional trees replaced I just don’t feel safe enough to take them home and I’ll have no choice but to uproot them from the community.”
Of 25 trees assessed by the arboreal team at the council, seven were identified as needing removal but Ms Walton said by removing a further eight trees, it would still leave 10 on council land.
“On compassionate grounds I’m asking that eight trees be replaced with local vegetation so that I can feel safe enough to take my kids back to their community,” she said.
Speaking through tears, Ms Walton described the mental and physical challenges the rebuilding of her family home has had on each of them.
“In the last 18 months our financial, emotional and psychological wellbeing have all declined, we’ve moved in and out of temporary housing six times, we’ve received multiple diagnosis of mental ill health due to the trauma related to the storm, we’ve spent weekends rebuilding our home while juggling the demands of a young family.
“I understand this is a critical period of recovery for our community and sadly my lived experience of displacement is shared by many but what is distinctly different with my situation is there are still 25 trees on council land within reach of my home.
“25 trees that could hit my kid’s bedroom again.”
Councillor Tim Heenan said from experience living in Mount Evelyn for 36 years and living through the same storm as the rest of the town’s residents he could sympathise with the Walton family.
“I understand the conversations that I’ve had with you and obviously visiting the site and I suppose more importantly I understand what’s been happening in our township over the last couple of years with enormous storm damage and inclement weather that continues to come and come and come,” he said.
Even in the last few days, Cr Heenan said he had witnessed more trees come down, confirming with Ms Walton that at least 60 trees came down on Kookaburra Lane in the most recent storm event.
Ms Walton said not only are the trees of concern but the sodden ground and lack of drainage with much of the road’s gravel washed into the gutter system, the instability of the roots system is unsettling.
A member for the council’s trees assessment crew said within the last two weeks, he has had 475 tree related requests with many parts of the shire experiencing similar conditions.
While Cr Sophie Todorov asked whether there were any drainage solutions, she was advised that any sort of excavation could potentially cause root damage resulting in a more likely scenario of a tree falling.
Moving the alternate motion, Cr Jim Child said given the precedent of a tree falling on this property in question, he could not move forward with the motion to retain the trees.
“Quite honestly, I wouldn’t be able to go home tonight with this still sitting in my mind and the ones I’ve dealt with in the past that have always resonated with are the ones where you can walk away knowing you’ve done the right thing,” he said
“But more so we’ve got to appreciate what has actually happened at this site, that a family has virtually lost their home, they’re still not back in their home and there’s still some kids and a mum and dad that are doing it tough.”
Cr Child thanked the arborist team for their professional assessment and work but said as councillors, they’re job is to the community which is “different to the other circumstances we have to deal with.”
“Most times trees will stay but we’re dealing with difficult times and a site that has some history,” he said.
Seconding the motion, Cr Heenan said in many circumstances life is more important than the environment and this was one of those times.
“Everyone knows I’m on the record saying I’m passionate about trees but I’ve seen so much in the last couple of years in Mount Evelyn…there’s been huge impacts on people in Mount Evelyn with trees, in particular the storm last year,” he said.
“Many people have lost their homes or a large portion of their homes, they’ve had cars crushed, they’ve had near losses of life.
“We all live with trees in Mount Evelyn and I know we love the trees, they’re a bad master when weather has an impact.”
The alternate motion to remove the eight trees was approved by all councillors.
