Left to rot

Cameron Hons lives next door to Lambert Road Reserve and said it was slowly dying after trees were removed three years ago.

He said a tree removal company removed trees one day without warning and left the logs there to rot.

He said they also sprayed heavily which killed plants and allowed weeds to thrive.

‘’I just assumed they would come back and year after year I noticed that it kept getting worse,’’ he said.

‘’It’s sad. It used to be a lot nicer with more greenery.’’

He is part of a bush care group which was was formed a year ago to help clear the reserve.

So far they have planted more than 45 plants but say they need council help to slash the weeds.

‘’The area is suffering from overdevelopment as it is,’’ he said.

‘’It’s disappointing that they haven’t been willing to help.

‘’It’s really a special place and if we didn’t look after it, it would be dead.’’

A Rockdale Council spokesman said because the reserve sat within a biodiversity corridor council does not normally consult with residents in regards to its maintenance.

‘’The lower section of the reserve gets regularly mowed, however, the upper section of the reserve is unable to be mowed due to the topography including the large sandstone boulders,’’ he said.

He confirmed that in October 2013 council commissioned a contractor to remove a camphor laurel tree as well as a dead tree overhanging the walkway.

He said in 2014 a dead eucalyptus tree was also removed but the trunk was left to provide natural habitat animals.

He said that council works with volunteers to undertake bush care in the area to protect the diversity and bushland of the area.

The Lambert Reserve bushcare sessions run on the second Friday of every month.

Residents interested in taking part can find out more by calling Rockdale Council's Natural Resource Management Officer Rachael Buzio on 9562 1703 or emailing rbuzio@rockdale.nsw.gov.au.

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