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Tree House DismantledA treehouse in an indigenous tree in Red Rocks Reserve at Phillip Island has been dismantled, after concerns were raised about public safety and environmental damage. By Bass Coast - 16th March 2012 - Back to News After a call from worried community members, Bass Coast Shire Council staff went out to inspect the site and found a timber platform sitting about ten metres up in the canopy of an old Coast Banksia tree.
Measuring roughly eight metres by three metres, the treehouse had clearly not been constructed by children. The beams, joists and decking were held together with screws and use of a nail gun.
Planning and Environment Director, Hannah Duncan-Jones, said a qualified building contractor had now removed the structure.
"There are several reasons for concern about any structure being built in sensitive bushland areas. Foremost, a construction of this kind is hazardous if someone climbs on it or if they are near it and it collapses. Being this high up, there was also the real risk of serious injury if anyone fell from the platform.
"Then there is the damage the structure causes to our bushland.
"In this case, the heavy tree house was suspended and secured with nails and screws into a tree that is probably several hundred years old. This poses a risk to the health of this significant indigenous tree, which is part of an area that is reserved for conservation of flora and fauna," said Ms Duncan-Jones.
"The treehouse is another example of encroachment and people using public Crown Land for their own private benefit. Council recently adopted a policy and works plan to address encroachment across the Shire," continued Ms Duncan-Jones.
"Our thanks go to the people who reported this structure to us so that we could remove it quickly. The actions taken in this reserve by the person who constructed this structure are now a matter for the police and they are following up on the information they have been given.
"We ask members of the community to report any other similar cases of encroachment into our reserves to the police and Council."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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