Save Beautiful Neighborhood Gardens!

The gardens at the front of my property, located in the Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia, have been reported to council, who claim they are a danger to human life and have ordered their removal. The gardens are beautiful, and pose no danger; rather, they attract native bees, beneficial insects, and birds, and are enjoyed by pedestrians and locals. An appeal must be made before April 18th, please sign to help me preserve my gardens!

FOR MORE DETAILS, KEEP READING! :)

Above: on either side of the driveway are the gardens in question

I received a letter from council stating: "a recent inspection revealed that an interference with a footpath/road reserve, being the rocks, gardens and letterbox placed/sited on the road reserve may cause an interference with the safe use of a footpath/road reserve, may cause harm to human health and may cause personal injury."

they go on to say "remove all items including but not limited to letterbox, gardens and rocks."

Above: I took this photo from the height of a driver. As you can see, the road is visible and the plants do not obstruct the view of oncoming traffic

Part of the gardens are in fact on the road reserve, however the Gold Coast council laws do not specifically prohibit the placement of shrubs, flowers or gardens on the road reserve. And they don't care about any of the other properties on the mountain with plants and trees on the road reserve

City of Gold Coast council outlines the maintenance of the road reserve as the responsibility of the home owner, who takes 'civic pride' in their 'contribution to the amenity of the city.'

I take great civic pride in the beauty and functionality of my gardens. Prior to landscaping the area, it was overgrown turf full of weeds and invasive plantings, and the soil was eroding. Turf is not a sustainable or eco friendly planting, and so I replaced it with flowers and shrubs. I've seen an increase in native bees and other beneficial insects, and even more birds. Locals often stop during walks to admire the gardens when they're in full bloom. I've had children picking flowers, folks taking pictures, and I have swapped seeds with neighbours.

Furthermore, there is extensive precedent for allowing plantings on the road reserve/verge such as:

1. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) allows homeowners to plant their road reserves, including placement of rocks under 15cm high.

2. Marrickville Council, NSW, allows road reserve plantings as a more sustainable choice for residents.

3. Leichhardt Council has an 'adopt a verge' program.

4. Other suburbs throughout Australia such as Randwic, Waverley, and Dullwhich Hill in Sydney have the option to pant their verges.

The examples are many

I am appealing to keep my beautiful gardens which I have spent so much time on. My gardens pose no danger to anyone. Quite the opposite, they are a feature that many enjoy. They have stopped the erosion that used to happen during wet season. And they have created a beneficial micro ecosystem on my property. I appreciate your support to help me keep it that way

yours truly,

Emrys Csato