Council warns locals after huge tree falls down 'out of nowhere'
Residents have expressed concerns over 'neglected' trees in the area with a common problem found to be the cause.
An Australian community has been warned to stay alert and be aware of falling trees that could come down without warning after a huge, established Kaffir Plum snapped and fell "out of nowhere".
A local Councillor for Sydney's Inner West was shocked to have discovered "one of the biggest trees" she's ever seen lying on its side at Lambert Park in Leichhardt last week. The discovery prompted a warning to residents to keep their distance from others like it in the area.
Councillor Philippa Scott first noticed the tree last Wednesday morning when returning home at about 6am. Residents living adjacent to the park said they heard a "loud crash" at about 11pm the night earlier, she said.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Scott told Yahoo News Australia days after warning her community on Facebook. "That is certainly the biggest tree that I've ever seen come down. It was truly spectacular.
"I have never seen a completely intact tree topple over from the root down," she added. "It was really something".
Root rot blamed for 'sick trees'
The discovery of the tree has shocked the residents in the area who "really value our mature trees and our shade coverage," the councillor said. It's feared the trees have been neglected and root rot could be to blame, however, an investigation is underway.
Root rot is a disease that attacks the roots of trees growing in saturated soil and often heavy rain is to blame. The New Year has brought downpours across parts of eastern Australia, including Sydney, despite a drier-than-normal summer expected due to the El Niño weather pattern.
"I think it was raining the night before, but we have had a lot of heavy rain recently, so it could have been accumulated water," Scott said.
Despite claims by some residents who say the council had "neglected the trees" Scott says "our tree team is attentive to tree health". "They are trimmed and checked regularly and residents do also report unhealthy trees to us as well," she said.
She says this one was "completely unexpected" and was thankfully away from homes and vehicles. But there are about three or four just like it around the park. "No one is hurt, but I suggest get you don’t get too close while I get council staff onto it," Scott warned residents on Facebook.
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Council confirms 'tree audit' after several trees fall down
A spokesperson from Inner West council confirmed to Yahoo an investigation found the fallen Kaffir Plum "had problems with its root system".
"All the other trees in Lambert Park were then inspected by qualified staff and several trees have been identified for pruning. This is scheduled within the next six weeks," they said.
But it's feared other trees in the area have the same issue and one resident claimed another fell outside their house over Christmas "and crushed a car". "If it had fallen the other way it would’ve hit my daughter's room. The tree was rotten when SES chopped it up," they said.
After seeing the councillor's warning another resident said they feared this might happen. "There’s a massive tree like this in National Street which is clearly sick," they said.
"Its big branches fall off all the time and no one parks their car near it," the concerned resident explained. "It’s uprooted the houses pavement & brick fence. After numerous letters of concern to council, they will still not remove it."
The council spokesperson confirmed they are undertaking a tree audit on all trees across the LGA. "This audit undertakes a risk assessment on the trees and recommends any works that may be required to address the risk. This audit will now prioritise Lambert Park for assessment in early February," they said.
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