Tree in Umgeni Park poses a danger to residents, motorists
A resident and a member of the Umgeni Estuary Conservancy agree that if the tree if felled, it must be replaced.
RESIDENTS of Anthony Road in Umgeni Park are concerned about a tree they believe is ‘dead’ from the trunk down.
One of the residents, Karl Halse said his neighbour contacted the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department several times in recent months, but nobody has come out to assess the tree.
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“It looks like the tree concerned has been ravaged by white ants, some type of wood-boring beetle or termites and, as a result, the tree is looking very unstable. It could land on a passing motorist, pedestrian or boundary wall of a nearby complex, causing extensive damage, serious injury or even death. It needs to be removed as a matter of urgency. It would be great if the tree, once felled, could be replaced with a young, indigenous tree,” said Halse.
Ward councillor for the area, Shontel de Boer said she emailed the Parks Department about the tree but, due to a backlog, the department has been unable to respond to the matter.
“I was informed that they [Parks Department] do have it on their list of matters to attend to but, at this stage, they are overwhelmed as there are numerous tree complaints to be dealt with,” said de Boer.
She said she continually asks for updates from the department.
“This tree does pose a danger to anybody using Anthony Road. Hopefully the matter is attended to soon,” she said.
Margaret Burger of the Umgeni Estuary Conservancy told Northglen News that, upon assessing the tree, she could immediately see why residents were concerned.
“It’s and old Cabbage Tree that doesn’t have much life from the trunk down. It’s still bearing and flowering at the top but, should it break at the bottom, someone could get hurt and property could get damaged, or both,” she said.
Burger said the tree should be removed urgently, however another problem is that when the Parks Department removes trees, they don’t replace them.
“Once a tree is removed, it doesn’t get replaced, which is a concern. The Parks Department needs to replace trees once they are removed,” she said.
The eThekwini Municipality failed to comment by the time of publishing.
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