Housing ACT backs neighbours' call for uprooting of unstoppable backyard English elm

The English elm dominating the backyard of a public housing property in Pearce sits more than 10 metres wide and has been estimated to be close to double that in height, but it's what's underground that has incensed those next door.

Peter Curran and wife Maureen have lived on one of the adjoining blocks since 1966 and have raised complaints with the government for about 15 years.

"The roots have cracked the concrete in our garage and are in our drains," Mr Curran said.

The retired plumber, 75, said the bath, shower and toilet had all backed up in recent years due to the expanding roots.

Sucker growth from the original tree, which the Currans said was planted in about 1980, have left surging elms in various parts of their backyard including among their vegetables, and even rising through sheltered decking.

On the public housing block itself the problem has been worse. Mr Curran, who often helps the tenant out with mowing, has seen countless elm shoots rising from the ground and many along the fence line have become established.

"All their drains had to be replaced, they had to reroute them around and under the house," he said.

An application by Mrs Curran to have the healthy tree removed in 2011, backed by neighbours on two other adjoining blocks, was knocked back by the Conservator of Flora and Fauna.

Chief ministers Jon Stanhope and later Katy Gallagher, responding to the Currans' complaints, deferred to the ruling.

But on Friday the end came a step closer for the grand but over-bountiful tree, with an ACT government spokeswoman announcing Housing ACT would be applying for it to be removed.

In 2008, the conservator had approved the felling of several elms on the blocks to the other side of the Currans, now home to a set of five apartments, as they had been found to be "causing or threatening to cause substantial damage to a substantial building, structure or service".

Unless it can be established the regulated tree's location is "inappropriate given its potential size and growth habit", Housing's application will likely need to meet the same substantial damage criteria before it gets the chop.

Mr Curran said a concrete root barrier installed by Housing along the length of the public block's fence adjoining their property had failed to fix the problem. The neighbour on the other side of the public home had spent thousands of dollars of his own building a concrete barrier after the 2011 rejection.

Mr Curran said he would happily accept the wood from the tree if it was removed.
"The government is prepared to cut all those trees down on Northbourne Avenue [for light rail], and they won't cut this one?"

He said the present public house tenant, who was away from home last week, did not want the tree.

The government spokeswoman said TAMS would work with Housing ACT and adjoining residents to fully investigate the issues raised, with a supervisor to inspect the property before Christmas.

TAMS' tree protection unit received 1900 applications to carry out tree damaging activities in 2014-15, with 876 granted.