PEDESTRIANS and motorists were miraculously spared when a massive fig tree broke apart and fell over Marine Drive, Tea Gardens, around 11am on Sunday 9 November.
The fig fell atop the footpath and roadway just in front of the Tea Gardens Police Station.
Thankfully, no-one was injured.
A volunteer Pindimar/Tea Gardens RFS fireman returning from Sunday morning training assisted a nearby local in clearing the gigantic limbs and branches.
Several cars were seen squeezing through the small gap left on the far kerb – some mounting it, others copping long scratches – instead of turning around and seeking an easy detour down Ogden or Hough streets.
MidCoast Council road and parks crews soon arrived on scene to finish clearing the roadway.
The tree was identified as a ficus obliqua, a massive native fig often favoured for its shade and stunning buttress trunk and, ironically, usually planted along avenues and parks.
Closer inspection of the broken trunk, however, showed that the fig tree had serious structural issues, including a large cavity in the main trunk caused by rotting.
“It is a massive tree and the recent heavy winds have not helped,” local tree lopper Jake Fitzroy told News Of The Area.
“This one definitely has rot and decay throughout, based on what can be seen.
“It is a shame that a mature tree like this has come to the end of its life.
“It could possibly have been salvaged by pruning, which can always be a gamble in these circumstances.
“However, for the safety of the community [members] who often walk or sit within this area, it would be safer to remove.”
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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