State Emergency Service warns of tree dangers in recent weather Myall Coast Myall Coast - popup ad Myall Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 22, 2024 This big gum on Crown land along Tuloa Avenue clearly had some problems, leading to its limb snapping off. FALLING trees have become a clear and present danger that all residents need to keep front-of-mind, and recent weather fluctuations have only exacerbated the situation. Storms, high winds, and the volatile mix of dry weather, boring insects and water-hungry eucalypts create problems that mostly go unseen, until a giant limb suddenly drops, taking power lines, cars, and possible people with them. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “If we end up in drought, which looks like the case in Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest and Pindimar/Bundabah, the trees themselves become stressed, hence more prone to insect infestations – white ants, borers, etc,” Stroud SES Deputy Commander Greg Snape told NOTA. “Then rains return, the trees suck up more water weight, and the timber fibres have weakened significantly, leading to limbs dropping, exacerbated by high winds and storms.” “Gums tend to drop limbs anyway, it’s the nature of the beast, but particularly a tree anywhere near a structure, fences, etc, people need to be aware of these trees’ natures.” Deputy Commander Snape added that paving around trees, excavations in the vicinity of their ‘dripline’ (the radius to which water drops from its leaves), or enclosing the root system can cause the roots to rot, decreasing the tree’s stability. “Be aware that trees evolved in natural environments, Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest is a sandy soil, but the water table here is brackish, so tree roots spread out rather than go really deep. “On Pindimar’s ridges, the rocky, hard soil means trees are shallow-rooted, and can end up with very large root-ball wrenching out of the ground.” “The lesson is: you’ve got to maintain your trees – make yourself aware of insurance liabilities of a tree next door, be aware of the hazards presented by trees where you live, check your insurance, and perform regular maintenance,” Deputy Commander Snape reiterated. “Do a visual inspection, get arborists in to take a look, don’t do it yourself.” Gum tree leaf litter, which can accumulate rapidly upon rooftops and in gutters, also present a major fire hazard if left unattended for too long. By Thomas O’KEEFE One house in Hawks Nest now cradles half a tree on its roof. Some trees along Myall Park’s footpath manage to defy the laws of physics, at least for a while. This eucalypt at Myall Park shows a dead section running up the trunk, with a dead limb at its apex, and sawdust at the bottom.
