Heritage & Rare Fruit Network member Nicola Bludau writes on 30th October 2016:
Blue Mountains City Council poisons apple trees! We had three well bearing apple trees right across the road which supplied plenty of good unsprayed apples. Three weeks ago, there were some council workers targeting weeds. Me and another neighbour, independently asked not to attack these trees and they told us they won't.
Now they are not leaving out and there are drill holes showing they are poisoned. We are so upset about that!
That was the most sustainable food source and the council destroys it with MY council rates! BTW families struggling to pay these high rates and I cannot afford $8 a kilo of organic apples! How can we stop such a stupidity?
Blue Mountains City Council poisons apple trees! We had three well bearing apple trees right across the road which supplied plenty of good unsprayed apples. Three weeks ago, there were some council workers targeting weeds. Me and another neighbour, independently asked not to attack these trees and they told us they won't.
Now they are not leaving out and there are drill holes showing they are poisoned. We are so upset about that!
That was the most sustainable food source and the council destroys it with MY council rates! BTW families struggling to pay these high rates and I cannot afford $8 a kilo of organic apples! How can we stop such a stupidity?
In reply, Neil Barraclough wrote:
We've encountered a number of such incidents as the members who have been here longer know. The reasons we have had were that they were non-indigenous and usually growing amongst introduced grass species and weeds. Our first encounter was with the Latrobe shire and Rosemary Abetz-Rouse and others in Yinnar started a community movement and petitioned the council. H&RFN become involved and we put across the value of locally adapted varieties of fruit trees as some of them are of exceptional value and the strength of the fruit movement as shown by the number of members on our Facebook group, also the support for our grafting days where we were sharing locally adapted roadside seedlings. I contacted my local member Tim Lorraine Bull by email one evening, next morning he forwarded the email to Russel North, the member for the Latrobe electorate and he contacted the shire. Around 3pm that day I got an email to tell me that the Latrobe shire had stopped removing fruit trees.
Some time later I went into a meeting of my own Wellington Shire and spoke to the meeting about the value of the genetics of roadside trees and the need for the preservation of the best locally adapted varieties. The Wellington Shire had no policy on roadside fruit trees but now has a policy of only removing them if they are deemed a danger to traffic. So, we need an information package to help people who are prepared to go to their local shire meetings or to use in letters to their shire.
Also I would like to add that it is very important that any very good varieties amongst the roadside trees be grafted on to virus free rootstocks and maintained in someones collection as a single variety. I try to have a few spare rootstocks all the time to graft any good ones and a few ahead of me at the moment.
We've encountered a number of such incidents as the members who have been here longer know. The reasons we have had were that they were non-indigenous and usually growing amongst introduced grass species and weeds. Our first encounter was with the Latrobe shire and Rosemary Abetz-Rouse and others in Yinnar started a community movement and petitioned the council. H&RFN become involved and we put across the value of locally adapted varieties of fruit trees as some of them are of exceptional value and the strength of the fruit movement as shown by the number of members on our Facebook group, also the support for our grafting days where we were sharing locally adapted roadside seedlings. I contacted my local member Tim Lorraine Bull by email one evening, next morning he forwarded the email to Russel North, the member for the Latrobe electorate and he contacted the shire. Around 3pm that day I got an email to tell me that the Latrobe shire had stopped removing fruit trees.
Some time later I went into a meeting of my own Wellington Shire and spoke to the meeting about the value of the genetics of roadside trees and the need for the preservation of the best locally adapted varieties. The Wellington Shire had no policy on roadside fruit trees but now has a policy of only removing them if they are deemed a danger to traffic. So, we need an information package to help people who are prepared to go to their local shire meetings or to use in letters to their shire.
Also I would like to add that it is very important that any very good varieties amongst the roadside trees be grafted on to virus free rootstocks and maintained in someones collection as a single variety. I try to have a few spare rootstocks all the time to graft any good ones and a few ahead of me at the moment.
Nicola Bludau
Neil, you're probably very good at talking about these things. I have a question: there's always the reasoning that neglected fruit trees spread diseases on nearby orchards. Have that reasoning ever be questioned? How far is the next orchard away? How many viruses to infect an orchard and how about immunity? Is this more of a myth or are there real reported cases which are proven?
When I was a kid we had something which was called 'Streuobstwiese' which can't really be translated. There were orchards, mostly unfenced and the trees were not really very much cared for. In autumn you shook the apples down and brought them to a local fuit press. These are different apples and the juice (and cider) tastes much better than the usual apple juice you buy. Of course I was not interested in the varieties.
Neil, you're probably very good at talking about these things. I have a question: there's always the reasoning that neglected fruit trees spread diseases on nearby orchards. Have that reasoning ever be questioned? How far is the next orchard away? How many viruses to infect an orchard and how about immunity? Is this more of a myth or are there real reported cases which are proven?
When I was a kid we had something which was called 'Streuobstwiese' which can't really be translated. There were orchards, mostly unfenced and the trees were not really very much cared for. In autumn you shook the apples down and brought them to a local fuit press. These are different apples and the juice (and cider) tastes much better than the usual apple juice you buy. Of course I was not interested in the varieties.
Jennie Jeppesen Why would they remove trees?
Nicola Bludau They did not remove them they poisoned them! Now we have three dead trees there.
Jennie Jeppesen Yes but WHY? Now they are a fire hazard
Niki Curtis I'm guessing they will come up with a public good reason, such as people picking roadside trees are in danger from traffic or some such malarkey.
Niki Curtis Unfortunately, if some idiot does have an accident, the way our legal system is, SOMEONE has to be to blame and councils are pretty allergic to anything which might come back to bite them (unless it is an unfenced lake in green spaces - right next to housing with fenced pools). Simple stupidity is no longer punishable with natural consequences.
Ryan Drake Its a dirty world. I'd say revolt maybe some anarchy is due
Dian Smit Coles and WW don't want you to have free food?
Wez Redden Government gets no tax, everything has to go through the system and be accounted for so taxes can be paid and levies permits etc.If there is global warming and we can't grow enough food why are we not planting edible plants instead of ornamentals on roadsides and in parks.This is all about control and justifying their jobs
Wez Redden One woman I know throws out the fruit and veges her husband grows. She works as a cook and has done all the courses etc on food safety and says they are not safe to eat. If the power goes off she throws all the food out of the fridge, this is govt training She is not the sharpest tool in the shed lol. Sad when people blindly believe everything their govt tells them, some more than others but I think even the smartest of us get caught out by their BS sometimes
Deb Bottrill She would have heart failure at my practices.As a kid my father would test seafood for insurance claims and bring remains home for us. We grew up eating home grown fruit n veg and I consider scarred apples taste best and birds show me best tasting fruit. When I was cooking back home I found I didn't need to pick all caterpillars out of cauliflower, if I made tuna mornay with it my brother wouldn't notice.
Wez Redden I eat the bird pecked ones first to and the best beurre bosc pears were always the rejects with a rotten spot in them.Never get sick from them but people are getting sick from eating sanitised supermarket stuff. Lack of nutrition and lessened immune system
Franca Norris Been down that road Nicola..they will tell you it's all got to do with biosecurity. bullshit..The department of you can't do that actually chopped ours down in front of me..they said they weren't native, but left the blackberries and weeds behind...they were organic, healthy and heritage trees.
Robyn Jackson Grow your own, and organic is always going to be expensive, if that's what you want don't complain vabout it's [sic] price
Nicola Bludau Not grow your own- net or cage your own trees -build a prison around them or sit there with a shotgun!
Robyn Jackson Grow your own yes, then you can't complain and the council can't touch them..........
Neil Barraclough The best varieties to grow organically are the best varieties that are growing on the roads in your locality without any assistance Robyn. We need to value the locally adapted genetics.
Robyn Jackson If they are on council property, council can do whatever they want
Neil Barraclough What if a significant majority of the ratepayers believe the fruit trees should stay Robyn?
Robyn Jackson To [sic] bad, your rates go to other things besides looking after randomly planted fruit trees on council land, still if you feel so strongly you could always chain yourself to the tree
Neil Barraclough Robyn, in the instances I am aware of and the instances that have been brought to my attention, including this post, the rates weren't being used to prune and maintain them but to posion or remove them. However I would be interested in any instances where rates have been spent on their maintenance as you seem to be suggesting.
Robyn Jackson No maintenance of fruit trees, maintenance on roads, footpaths, infrastructure. Fruit trees are not a high priority of councils. If people want to preserve these strains of wild apples take a cutting and strike it. Otherwise stop complaining
Carol Flint Unfortunately you cannot argue with stupidity Nicola.
Triona Allen Is fruit fly an issue? Or coddling mother? Pests and diseases spread if not managed. Council does not have time to make sure every fruit tree is properly managed.
Nicola Bludau no fruit fly would get cold feet here!
Neil Barraclough In the brief time I was in a fruit fly area I found them in roadside fruit trees but have lived the rest of my life so far in codlin moth country and never seen them in wild apples.
Nicola Bludau They did not remove them they poisoned them! Now we have three dead trees there.
Jennie Jeppesen Yes but WHY? Now they are a fire hazard
Niki Curtis I'm guessing they will come up with a public good reason, such as people picking roadside trees are in danger from traffic or some such malarkey.
Niki Curtis Unfortunately, if some idiot does have an accident, the way our legal system is, SOMEONE has to be to blame and councils are pretty allergic to anything which might come back to bite them (unless it is an unfenced lake in green spaces - right next to housing with fenced pools). Simple stupidity is no longer punishable with natural consequences.
Ryan Drake Its a dirty world. I'd say revolt maybe some anarchy is due
Dian Smit Coles and WW don't want you to have free food?
Wez Redden Government gets no tax, everything has to go through the system and be accounted for so taxes can be paid and levies permits etc.If there is global warming and we can't grow enough food why are we not planting edible plants instead of ornamentals on roadsides and in parks.This is all about control and justifying their jobs
Wez Redden One woman I know throws out the fruit and veges her husband grows. She works as a cook and has done all the courses etc on food safety and says they are not safe to eat. If the power goes off she throws all the food out of the fridge, this is govt training She is not the sharpest tool in the shed lol. Sad when people blindly believe everything their govt tells them, some more than others but I think even the smartest of us get caught out by their BS sometimes
Deb Bottrill She would have heart failure at my practices.As a kid my father would test seafood for insurance claims and bring remains home for us. We grew up eating home grown fruit n veg and I consider scarred apples taste best and birds show me best tasting fruit. When I was cooking back home I found I didn't need to pick all caterpillars out of cauliflower, if I made tuna mornay with it my brother wouldn't notice.
Wez Redden I eat the bird pecked ones first to and the best beurre bosc pears were always the rejects with a rotten spot in them.Never get sick from them but people are getting sick from eating sanitised supermarket stuff. Lack of nutrition and lessened immune system
Franca Norris Been down that road Nicola..they will tell you it's all got to do with biosecurity. bullshit..The department of you can't do that actually chopped ours down in front of me..they said they weren't native, but left the blackberries and weeds behind...they were organic, healthy and heritage trees.
Robyn Jackson Grow your own, and organic is always going to be expensive, if that's what you want don't complain vabout it's [sic] price
Nicola Bludau Not grow your own- net or cage your own trees -build a prison around them or sit there with a shotgun!
Robyn Jackson Grow your own yes, then you can't complain and the council can't touch them..........
Neil Barraclough The best varieties to grow organically are the best varieties that are growing on the roads in your locality without any assistance Robyn. We need to value the locally adapted genetics.
Robyn Jackson If they are on council property, council can do whatever they want
Neil Barraclough What if a significant majority of the ratepayers believe the fruit trees should stay Robyn?
Robyn Jackson To [sic] bad, your rates go to other things besides looking after randomly planted fruit trees on council land, still if you feel so strongly you could always chain yourself to the tree
Neil Barraclough Robyn, in the instances I am aware of and the instances that have been brought to my attention, including this post, the rates weren't being used to prune and maintain them but to posion or remove them. However I would be interested in any instances where rates have been spent on their maintenance as you seem to be suggesting.
Robyn Jackson No maintenance of fruit trees, maintenance on roads, footpaths, infrastructure. Fruit trees are not a high priority of councils. If people want to preserve these strains of wild apples take a cutting and strike it. Otherwise stop complaining
Carol Flint Unfortunately you cannot argue with stupidity Nicola.
Triona Allen Is fruit fly an issue? Or coddling mother? Pests and diseases spread if not managed. Council does not have time to make sure every fruit tree is properly managed.
Nicola Bludau no fruit fly would get cold feet here!
Neil Barraclough In the brief time I was in a fruit fly area I found them in roadside fruit trees but have lived the rest of my life so far in codlin moth country and never seen them in wild apples.