Hedge row

These cypress hedges are actually rows of cypress trees. Even if you pruned them diligently every year, they would eventually creep onto the footpath.

These hedges are gorgeous, irreplacable inside 20 years, and are even recommended as a sightseeing attraction in the government’s heritage walks publication.

If they are destroyed should be up to the local residents. If more of them feel they really need access to the little strip of concrete, and not the flat dirt next to it, then the hedges will have to go. But noone has asked the residents.

Residents should also be given the option of paying for a new footpath to be built next tot he old one. Some have already offered to do this, but the govt refuses to talk about the issue.

I wouldn’t be pruning any conifer to bare wood, There’s a nice example of the outcome somewhere in campbell st ainslie from memory (in the vicinity of the preschool??), however many of the old hedges are also privet, pyracantha, and photinia all of which will rebound very well from a skeleton prune, I would consider pulling out the first two due to weediness.
Hedges that are maintained well should not be a prolblem with paths.

Andrew MacKenzie from UC (landscape architects assoc) was on 666 this morning and made a good point. With large yards, many of these places could plant replacement hedges behind the offending ones, then remove the old ones once the new were established.

Another arborist yesterday made the point that most of the hedges are either cypress or juniper. He said Juniper can be pruned to hell and will bounce back, but cypress is cactus if you prune to bare wood.
So I think Andrew’s suggestion – although it would likely be a 5-year transition – has a lot of merit.

A house not too far from mine always had tree branches hanging down onto the path, which were pretty annoying and dangerous when riding a bike (especially when it’s getting dark). So my solution was to ride through their garden bed of flowers – which was out of the way of the hanging tree branches. They must have realised, as the tree was recently trimmed.

^ on the button.

FFS. I have this issue where I live. I, and a number of locals, keep their hedges trimmed and there is no issue. Others, the hedges are so poorly maintined, it is not possible to use the footpath.

If the guy in the ABC news item had bothered to maintain his hedge, it wouldn’t be an issue.

The hedges are an encroachment on public land. The government can do what they want with them and if they’re now unsafe, remove them completely.

If it was a road that they were growing into, and not a footpath, would anyone advocate moving the road?

The footpaths are heritage listed

Pretty -v- property. I would have to hedge my bets.

It’s a bit rough. Couldn’t they look at widening the footpaths instead of having the hedges wrecked? Hedges like this have to be trimmed almost weekly, to control the new growth before it becomes old growth (that hard, sticky stuff that won’t grow green bits) and those tall hedges, well, it’s just not going to happen. But if they lose their hedges, they can’t just put up a colourbond fence, there’s rules against that.

It’s just more neglect by ACT admin, and then they get all zealous and no one wins.

I also support the hedge guy, and Sepi’s comments. What TAMS did was complete ‘overkill’ and, being the parent of small children, I agree that the result is far more dangerous than what was originally there.

But my main complaint is that government used to maintain the city, and now they don’t. I know my rates are going up, what is the local council doing with the money?

At a certain age, those hedges will just outgrow the spot they are in. There is only so much you can do with pruning. I thought you were criticising whoever first planted them close to the property boundary.

I actually do think it would be nice to move the powerlines down Majura AVe – someone made a big mistake in planting a row of big oaks under a row of powerlines. Same for the huge white gums that are being chopped back to nothing down Phillip Ave as they compete with poewrlines.

Planning is not a real talent in Canbrera.

sepi said :

I support the hedge guy. I like to look at the massive hedges that have been growing for decades. And on the other side of those griffith ones is 3-4m of manky dirt/grass. Why not (eventually) move the footpath over and leave the hedge there.

Those hedges would have been planted way back when the govt used to trim the hedges, so the original owner was not at fault to plant them.

It is very sad that the current owners are having to destroy them.

It seems that his govt has no respect for plants that have grown over decades, but thinks they can create gardens and arboretums overnight.

If they were trimmed properly in the first place they would be growing nicely and not over the footpath, simple as that.

@ sepi

Are you serious? It is the property owners hedge, they should ensure that it does not encroach on the pedestrian footpath. Just becaus the govenrment “used” to trim the hedges, doesn’t deminsh the resposiblity of owner to ensure that “their” hedge doesn’t impede pedestrian acces to the public footpath…

I have a tree on my property that has been there for decades and is growing into the above power lines. We should keep the tree and move the power lines. It’s not my fault the government put powerlines there after the tree was already there?

Fiona said :

I had issues in Holder recently, where there was no room between the fence on one side and a “shrub” that had overgrown from the road side of the footpath.

Roundup FTW!

I support the hedge guy. I like to look at the massive hedges that have been growing for decades. And on the other side of those griffith ones is 3-4m of manky dirt/grass. Why not (eventually) move the footpath over and leave the hedge there.

Those hedges would have been planted way back when the govt used to trim the hedges, so the original owner was not at fault to plant them.

It is very sad that the current owners are having to destroy them.

It seems that his govt has no respect for plants that have grown over decades, but thinks they can create gardens and arboretums overnight.

I like how the owner’s argument is that trimming it back made it dangerous because of the exposed branches. Well, if that’s the case then the hedge should go altogether.

I had issues in Holder recently, where there was no room between the fence on one side and a “shrub” that had overgrown from the road side of the footpath.