Save the trees because we're incapable cryeth TAMS

Gobbo said :

Genie said :

I don’t want a tree on my nature strip.

Does that mean I can water it with salted water or bleach ?

Before everyone starts having a go at me, the tree is stupidly planted directly above my water pipes. That’s going to be fun in a few years when the tree grows through the pipes. Already lived in one property where they would come replace the pipe every 6 months.

Secondly. The tree is currently growing at 45 degree angle. Towards the house.

I have 3 giant gum trees across the road from my house. Again I don’t want one on my nature strip.

Nature strip trees blocking water pipes are paid for by the government to replace. BTW I seriously doubt you were having your pipes ‘replaced’ every six months. You seem to be exaggerating your argument to justify your dislike of street trees.

So sad to be you.

Actually not always. We had a plumber out at least 3 times a year until the tree fell over in a bad storm but because the “damage” to the pipes was always apparently on our side of the property. Guess who had to pay.

dtc said :

Antagonist said :

Selfish? To expect government employees to do their jobs using monies raised from rates, taxes and stamp duties? To prepare in advance for this new and unexpected Australian invention called the heatwave? Selfish my hairy @ss!

Actually, they are all contractors not govt employees….

They were on the news last night. Are starting work at 6am and working through the day, but there are a lot of trees and not that many employees.

The fire analogy was a good one – would you assist the fire brigade or just say ‘they are govt employees, they should be here to do their job. After all, there is this Australian invention called the bushfire”?

First, the “contractors” are still government employees, albeit in a temporary or non-ongoing capacity. They still get paid a salary and super, and a loading in lieu of leave entitlements with the money coming from the ACT Government (our rates, taxes and stamp duties). They are still employees, even if they are not permanent employees. For the record, a significant proportion of outdoorsy people at employed in Parks and Places also start at 6:00am – this is in no way exceptional or significant.

Given we can expect this kind of heat pretty much EVERY summer, TaMS could easily do what they (and other agencies like ESA) have been doing for many years; they could hire seasonals for the job. Since it is only watering trees and does not require a university degree, it appears to me to be a brilliant opportunity to employ the disabled! It is not like their is a skills shortage for this kind of employment.

Second, the fire analogy is lousy. The consequences of each scenario are worlds apart; one being a few dead trees and the other being significant property loss/damage. Apples and Oranges.

Third, while nobody would mind watering trees on their nature strips (my earlier post points out that I do it twice weekly myself), TaMS ask that people go into parks and similar to undertake watering. This is where they go too far. TaMS have NEVER watered a tree on any nature strip I have ever had, and I suspect this was added only to sugar coat their ‘request’.

Genie said :

I don’t want a tree on my nature strip.

Does that mean I can water it with salted water or bleach ?

Before everyone starts having a go at me, the tree is stupidly planted directly above my water pipes. That’s going to be fun in a few years when the tree grows through the pipes. Already lived in one property where they would come replace the pipe every 6 months.

Secondly. The tree is currently growing at 45 degree angle. Towards the house.

I have 3 giant gum trees across the road from my house. Again I don’t want one on my nature strip.

Nature strip trees blocking water pipes are paid for by the government to replace. BTW I seriously doubt you were having your pipes ‘replaced’ every six months. You seem to be exaggerating your argument to justify your dislike of street trees.

So sad to be you.

I don’t want a tree on my nature strip.

Does that mean I can water it with salted water or bleach ?

Before everyone starts having a go at me, the tree is stupidly planted directly above my water pipes. That’s going to be fun in a few years when the tree grows through the pipes. Already lived in one property where they would come replace the pipe every 6 months.

Secondly. The tree is currently growing at 45 degree angle. Towards the house.

I have 3 giant gum trees across the road from my house. Again I don’t want one on my nature strip.

Antagonist said :

Selfish? To expect government employees to do their jobs using monies raised from rates, taxes and stamp duties? To prepare in advance for this new and unexpected Australian invention called the heatwave? Selfish my hairy @ss!

Actually, they are all contractors not govt employees….

They were on the news last night. Are starting work at 6am and working through the day, but there are a lot of trees and not that many employees.

The fire analogy was a good one – would you assist the fire brigade or just say ‘they are govt employees, they should be here to do their job. After all, there is this Australian invention called the bushfire”?

Antagonist said :

Selfish? To expect government employees to do their jobs using monies raised from rates, taxes and stamp duties? To prepare in advance for this new and unexpected Australian invention called the heatwave? Selfish my hairy @ss!

The government employees aren’t stopping their work and asking that you do it instead. They are continuing to do their jobs. One would imagine that the watering schedule simply does not contain enough dead time in it to increase the watering levels above that scheduled.

As pointed out, they could hire extra people, at short notice, on probably expensive short-term contracts to do extra watering for say a week or two. At which point the same people on here who sook about the gov asking for a little community help, would say that such a thing was an outrageous waste of taxpayers dollars.

Would you also criticise the government if they, hypothetically, asked community members to put out spotfires that they see around, if possible, because emergency services crews were already stretched to capacity?

It’s not hard to go and water a tree out the front of your house every day or two in the extreme heat. If people were looking after their own gardens in the first place, they’d probably already be out watering their own plants more often at such a time, so adding an extra 5min to go out the front and water the tree or two on the nature strip is not tough.

Hell, someone even mentioned that they just set their sprinkler up. That’s heaps of hard work on their part :/

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

magiccar9 said :

Nylex_Clock said :

I’m surprised people need to be told. When a street tree was replaced out the front of my place once, it went without saying that in extra-dry, hot conditions I would make sure I watered it.

Some people in my neighbourhood have a reserve across the road from them and they take good care of some new plantings across the road from them.

The negative responses here are indicative of people who lack a sense of community and live in a selfish little bubble of misplaced self-interest.

Perhaps the reason why we are so selfish in our little bubbles of self-interest is because of the considerable years of disappointment we’ve had to endure under this government. We’ve thus maybe adapted our ways to look after ourselves first because those who represent us simply no longer give a crap.

Just an idea.

Or just another idea, maybe they are lazy, non community minded morons.

Please do not blame the government for your selfishness.

Selfish? To expect government employees to do their jobs using monies raised from rates, taxes and stamp duties? To prepare in advance for this new and unexpected Australian invention called the heatwave? Selfish my hairy @ss!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

magiccar9 said :

Nylex_Clock said :

I’m surprised people need to be told. When a street tree was replaced out the front of my place once, it went without saying that in extra-dry, hot conditions I would make sure I watered it.

Some people in my neighbourhood have a reserve across the road from them and they take good care of some new plantings across the road from them.

The negative responses here are indicative of people who lack a sense of community and live in a selfish little bubble of misplaced self-interest.

Perhaps the reason why we are so selfish in our little bubbles of self-interest is because of the considerable years of disappointment we’ve had to endure under this government. We’ve thus maybe adapted our ways to look after ourselves first because those who represent us simply no longer give a crap.

Just an idea.

Or just another idea, maybe they are lazy, non community minded morons.

Please do not blame the government for your selfishness.

Oh FFS you lot! Just chuck a bucket of water on the poor tree. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater!

Don’t panic! I’m sure plenty of tough guys had their whinge on here then went outside for the hose or watering can. Personally I have sprinklers doing my garden and nature strip when the temperature drops past a certain point so there’s no action necessary from me.

magiccar9 said :

Nylex_Clock said :

I’m surprised people need to be told. When a street tree was replaced out the front of my place once, it went without saying that in extra-dry, hot conditions I would make sure I watered it.

Some people in my neighbourhood have a reserve across the road from them and they take good care of some new plantings across the road from them.

The negative responses here are indicative of people who lack a sense of community and live in a selfish little bubble of misplaced self-interest.

Perhaps the reason why we are so selfish in our little bubbles of self-interest is because of the considerable years of disappointment we’ve had to endure under this government. We’ve thus maybe adapted our ways to look after ourselves first because those who represent us simply no longer give a crap.

Just an idea.

Or just another idea, maybe they are lazy, non community minded morons.

Please do not blame the government for your selfishness.

Nylex_Clock said :

I’m surprised people need to be told. When a street tree was replaced out the front of my place once, it went without saying that in extra-dry, hot conditions I would make sure I watered it.

Some people in my neighbourhood have a reserve across the road from them and they take good care of some new plantings across the road from them.

The negative responses here are indicative of people who lack a sense of community and live in a selfish little bubble of misplaced self-interest.

Perhaps the reason why we are so selfish in our little bubbles of self-interest is because of the considerable years of disappointment we’ve had to endure under this government. We’ve thus maybe adapted our ways to look after ourselves first because those who represent us simply no longer give a crap.

Just an idea.

I’m surprised people need to be told. When a street tree was replaced out the front of my place once, it went without saying that in extra-dry, hot conditions I would make sure I watered it.

Some people in my neighbourhood have a reserve across the road from them and they take good care of some new plantings across the road from them.

The negative responses here are indicative of people who lack a sense of community and live in a selfish little bubble of misplaced self-interest.

“Take the time to hug a tree…in fact, take one out for a few drinks first.”
Mikey Robins, 3 Beers and a Chinese Meal (page 35).

I’ll take a different approach on this one.

I will be using my discretion as to which trees I water and save.

Those that contribute a lot of fuel to bushfires, and thrive and rejuvenate in fires while indirectly killing off competitors (e.g. any tree not of its specie), can go to (the sweltering heatwave of) hell.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Masquara said :

TAMS neglected all the trees at the O’Connor Shops, which were not an obvious communal responsibility or identifiable individual responsibility (eg where would a citizen find a tap to turn on and water those trees?) and most of them are dead. And TAMS are suddenly high-handedly calling on us to save trees?

Source that tams caused those trees to die?

Where in the above quote does it say that TaMS caused those trees to die? 😉

Half the trees in my street are dying of old age. Best for all involved to save the money and put in the new ones after the heat settles down.

I also have a gum tree that’s about 30m high and starting to drop branches so I’ve got to figure out how to get it removed legally.

I love trees but they sometimes need more than a single watering can and it would be great if TAMS got onto it and let us sort out our own trees too.

There used to be a Parks and Gardens area within the Department of the Capital Territory, back when things were (IMO) run properly. Unfortunately in relation to services in general in Canberra, I think we currently get ‘two star’ results despite paying the equivalent of five star as evidenced by e.g. chip seal on roads,generally neglected suburban parks, no hard rubbish collection and, apparently, no one to look after that ACT community assets that are established trees. It used to be obvious when you had entered the ACT from NSW, because of the excellent road surface. This has reversed.
That said I have planted approximately 20 trees on my current property to create a microclimate that is cooler in summer and less exposed to freezing gales in winter. I am fortunate: I live on a decent sized block. The current fashion for mini blocks with no room for trees is very bad for Canberra (and of course for the residents’ power bills).

Masquara said :

TAMS neglected all the trees at the O’Connor Shops, which were not an obvious communal responsibility or identifiable individual responsibility (eg where would a citizen find a tap to turn on and water those trees?) and most of them are dead. And TAMS are suddenly high-handedly calling on us to save trees?

Source that tams caused those trees to die?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Not a bad community initiative in my eyes. But on the same token, I hope they do not complain when next season I claim a decent patch of park to grow a community veggie patch and plant a few extra shade trees.

And of course, they won’t mind me putting a pump in the creek and pumping water onto my, albeit, quite dead lawn…

Literally no reason to not let you do that. Creek water is creek water.

From JB’s headline of ‘we’re incapable’ right through to Masquara’s claim of TAMS ‘high-handedly calling on us to save trees’, almost this entire thread is a depressing read. I shouldn’t be surprised though – I have neighbours who were here when my suburb was established in 1973, who tell of deliberately destroying any street trees planted outside their place. “Sorry, I forgot to put the hand brake on the car, and the damn thing just rolled right over the tree”.

Now, given that just about every house on the street is constructed on an easterly or westerly aspect, we’re lucky enough to have a big tree that gives us some afternoon shade, while our neighbour who couldn’t remember how to put on the hand brake bakes in the full sun.

Honestly though…from some of the reactions on here, you’d think TAMS had asked you to s*** in your hands, and then run it down to the local sewerage works. Get a grip people.

Seriously, is Shane Rattenbury the minister responsible for looking after Canberra’s street trees? Surely that can’t be true! His portfolio has been expending a LOT of energy on weird signage unnecessaries all over Canberra’s nature parks – couldn’t this GREEN have allocated a wage to a watering truck?

TAMS neglected all the trees at the O’Connor Shops, which were not an obvious communal responsibility or identifiable individual responsibility (eg where would a citizen find a tap to turn on and water those trees?) and most of them are dead. And TAMS are suddenly high-handedly calling on us to save trees?

So the price of water is going up… And the government want Canberrans to ‘donate’ it to them free of charge?
Perhaps we could plant trees that are more tolerant of these conditions? Or we could not plant baby trees leading up to such a hot summer (which has been predicted for many months now)?

The government are more than happy to beg and plead for our help when they can’t achieve their requirements, but when residents ask for the smallest things in return they do diddly-squat. Sorry TAMS but I think I’ll pass.

DrKoresh said :

Antagonist said :

The garbo is feeling a little tired from the heat – time to take my own rubbish out to the tip now it is summer. And the guys that drive the skippys around to collect rubbish from public bins are tired from the heat also – I will take the rubbish out to the tip for them too. Oh, and those poor rude folks on the phones at Canberra Connect … I shall man the phones for them too, so they can have a bitch about what nasty people the Canberra public are! I wonder if they need a break at the ACT Government Shopfront – I will give the rude concierge a break, before relieving the folks behind the counter so they can have a coffee (or several) on paid work time. [/sarcasm]

Now what is it that I pay rates/taxes/stamp duty for again ???

And they say people in Canberra are self-centred and entitled!

I doubt Antagonist actually pays any rates/taxes/stamp duty. Trolls come duty-free!

Antagonist said :

DrKoresh said :

Territory and Municipal Services are hoping you can get out and water street trees because they’re not very good at doing their own jobs:

And people say Canberra lacks community spirit!

The garbo is feeling a little tired from the heat – time to take my own rubbish out to the tip now it is summer. And the guys that drive the skippys around to collect rubbish from public bins are tired from the heat also – I will take the rubbish out to the tip for them too. Oh, and those poor rude folks on the phones at Canberra Connect … I shall man the phones for them too, so they can have a bitch about what nasty people the Canberra public are! I wonder if they need a break at the ACT Government Shopfront – I will give the rude concierge a break, before relieving the folks behind the counter so they can have a coffee (or several) on paid work time. [/sarcasm]

Now what is it that I pay rates/taxes/stamp duty for again ???

Hey, go easy on the garbage collectors. They have to do a FIVE DAY WEEK NOW WITH NO OVERTIME. Presumably ten hours a day! It’s not as if salaried retail workers have to do that on a regular basis! Oh no!

DrKoresh said :

Antagonist said :

The garbo is feeling a little tired from the heat – time to take my own rubbish out to the tip now it is summer. And the guys that drive the skippys around to collect rubbish from public bins are tired from the heat also – I will take the rubbish out to the tip for them too. Oh, and those poor rude folks on the phones at Canberra Connect … I shall man the phones for them too, so they can have a bitch about what nasty people the Canberra public are! I wonder if they need a break at the ACT Government Shopfront – I will give the rude concierge a break, before relieving the folks behind the counter so they can have a coffee (or several) on paid work time. [/sarcasm]

Now what is it that I pay rates/taxes/stamp duty for again ???

And they say people in Canberra are self-centred and entitled!

It is a perfectly valid point. We pay rates/taxes/stamp duty to the ACT Government, who in turn employ people (and pay them a salary + super + leave entitlements) to do these things. All of a sudden, the ACT Government are caught off guard by a heatwave. It is not like there have not been heatwaves in the several hundred million years before Australia was invented. These heatwaves are a new thing! What would they have done in the old days during a heatwave, I wonder? They must have asked Mr and Mrs John Q Taxpayer to figure it out.

For the record, I already water government trees twice weekly. They grow on my nature strip, which I also mow. For free.

Antagonist said :

The garbo is feeling a little tired from the heat – time to take my own rubbish out to the tip now it is summer. And the guys that drive the skippys around to collect rubbish from public bins are tired from the heat also – I will take the rubbish out to the tip for them too. Oh, and those poor rude folks on the phones at Canberra Connect … I shall man the phones for them too, so they can have a bitch about what nasty people the Canberra public are! I wonder if they need a break at the ACT Government Shopfront – I will give the rude concierge a break, before relieving the folks behind the counter so they can have a coffee (or several) on paid work time. [/sarcasm]

Now what is it that I pay rates/taxes/stamp duty for again ???

And they say people in Canberra are self-centred and entitled!

DrKoresh said :

Territory and Municipal Services are hoping you can get out and water street trees because they’re not very good at doing their own jobs:

And people say Canberra lacks community spirit!

The garbo is feeling a little tired from the heat – time to take my own rubbish out to the tip now it is summer. And the guys that drive the skippys around to collect rubbish from public bins are tired from the heat also – I will take the rubbish out to the tip for them too. Oh, and those poor rude folks on the phones at Canberra Connect … I shall man the phones for them too, so they can have a bitch about what nasty people the Canberra public are! I wonder if they need a break at the ACT Government Shopfront – I will give the rude concierge a break, before relieving the folks behind the counter so they can have a coffee (or several) on paid work time. [/sarcasm]

Now what is it that I pay rates/taxes/stamp duty for again ???

A_Cog said :

Nah TAMS.

Given that you tell me what I can do with my trees, I’m gonna tell you what you can do with yours:

*&$#$ $* &% #(&$ a@&%$*&% @##

Haha, this is also a good point.

Not a bad community initiative in my eyes. But on the same token, I hope they do not complain when next season I claim a decent patch of park to grow a community veggie patch and plant a few extra shade trees.

thatsnotme said :

Ohh FFS…heaven forbid the good citizens of Canberra actually get off their fat arses to pour a bucket of water on a tree! A tree which, ultimately, you helped pay for.

I know! We’ll hire a few dozen new staff specifically for tree watering duties. They’ll have to work only mornings and evenings, because watering in the middle of the day is a waste of time in heat like this, so will only ever be paid overtime rates. They’ll also spend most of the year doing nothing, when we don’t have a heatwave, and the trees can survive with normal watering.

Oh! Or we’ll just pull other staff off their normal duties and make them water trees instead! So your wait at Canberra Connect shopfronts might be a hell of a lot longer, and the bins in the town centres might overflow more than normal, but the trees will survive, and you can live satisfied in the knowledge that you didn’t have to do anything to help yourself.

Bravo!!

I highly doubt people from the Canberra Connect shop fronts are going outside to work. They would be complaining of blistered hands in and sweat in their eyes in minutes.

Territory and Municipal Services are hoping you can get out and water street trees because they’re not very good at doing their own jobs:

And people say Canberra lacks community spirit!

No beer at the cricket, cry for the hills and let slip the dogs of war. But looking after your city on a handful of extreme heat days, oh no go away. You can tell some people have their priorities wrong.

It’s amazing how quickly some people will go from whining about the ‘nanny state’ to whining about the government not doing everything for them, without any hint of irony.

Ohh FFS…heaven forbid the good citizens of Canberra actually get off their fat arses to pour a bucket of water on a tree! A tree which, ultimately, you helped pay for.

I know! We’ll hire a few dozen new staff specifically for tree watering duties. They’ll have to work only mornings and evenings, because watering in the middle of the day is a waste of time in heat like this, so will only ever be paid overtime rates. They’ll also spend most of the year doing nothing, when we don’t have a heatwave, and the trees can survive with normal watering.

Oh! Or we’ll just pull other staff off their normal duties and make them water trees instead! So your wait at Canberra Connect shopfronts might be a hell of a lot longer, and the bins in the town centres might overflow more than normal, but the trees will survive, and you can live satisfied in the knowledge that you didn’t have to do anything to help yourself.

Bravo!!

Persephone said :

I am happy to pay 4 cents worth of water to give my street trees a drink. They give beautiful cooling shade and oxygen. The birds also enjoy the shade, and make my street look nice. TAMS do a good job, but in this heat wave, it’s understandable they might need some help from Canberra residents to keep their street trees in good condition.

+1 But if some people want a dirt patch in front of their home, nobody’s going to force them to water their trees.

It is a bit early for this April Fools sh!t, isn’t it ???

Nah TAMS.

Given that you tell me what I can do with my trees, I’m gonna tell you what you can do with yours:

*&$#$ $* &% #(&$ a@&%$*&% @##

I don’t mind watering plants….although I have quite the black thumb so I wouldn’t trust me with it.

Sydney is really good with maintenance/cleaning/gardening (although it may be just cos I live near the CBD and we have a mass of services)

I am happy to pay 4 cents worth of water to give my street trees a drink. They give beautiful cooling shade and oxygen. The birds also enjoy the shade, and make my street look nice. TAMS do a good job, but in this heat wave, it’s understandable they might need some help from Canberra residents to keep their street trees in good condition.