Last week’s northerly winds just made the situation in Rosemary Court, Woodlands worse with several homes not able to see out their front windows or doors due to the vast amount of hairy panic grass.
After ‘Woodlands’ in the east of Yarrawonga was overcome with Hairy Panic Grass (tumbleweeds) after a strong southerly wind two weeks ago, many homes in several other areas of our local region have also now had to deal with the untimely clean up.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
On Tuesday, February 6, a strong southerly wind caused hundreds and thousands of the dry grass, commonly known as tumbleweed, to float into the back and front yards of many homes along Rosemary and Stevenson Courts with several residents spending hours trying to clear the weeds which are also a fire hazard.
After last Tuesday’s hot temperatures and northerly winds, Rosemary Court and Stevenson Court were once again hit as well as properties in Havenstock Drive (off Benalla Road), Cahills Road, Bundalong and Edward Street in Mulwala.
Cas and Nev Scott who live in Edward Street Mulwala said that the last two weeks have been some of worst scenes of tumbleweeds they have experienced since living in their home and no amount of time clearing them seems to make too much of a difference.
Pamela King in Bundalong shared this photo of her stables almost completely covered to Jane Bunn’s Weather Photography 7News Facebook page.
“Yesterday (last Wednesday) the tumbleweeds were up to the fence and almost reaching our verandah roof. We have cleared a fair few but then there will be a gust of wind, we come back out and here they are again,” Nev said.
“I went out in the car this morning (last Thursday) to get the paper. It now has not been driven in a couple of hours and is once again surrounded by them.
“We just can’t get rid of them.
Brenton Burnett who lives in Cahills Road, Yarrawonga said they were fighting a losing battle trying to clean the hairy panic grass up so why not have a laugh and lounge with them.
“Because we are the first house in the street after the paddock, we cop them the worst and reasonably regularly, but this time has been horrendous,” Cas added.
“We keep clearing them but then another wind comes along and blows just as many back to our property.
“I have wet them in the past but then they have not come out of the bin when it has been collected. This time around I am using a sheet to pick them up which gathers a lot at once but then there’s an issue getting them into the bin.
This home in Edward Street, Mulwala, which is across from a large open paddock, has been cleared almost daily with the car driven the morning of the photo but already been surrounded by the tumbleweed once again.
“I am allergic to them and Nev is unable to clear them, so we are even willing to pay someone or some kids to come and help us clear them away. It is a never-ending job.”
Helen Johansen, who lives with her husband Philip in Rosemary Court, said that residents in their area know exactly where the Hairy Panic Grass is coming from and hope something can be done before the situation turns dire as the grass is highly flammable.
“I’m completely perplexed by the paragraph(s) in last week’s article from a Moira Shire spokesperson,” Helen said.
Carol Szekfy shared photos of her backyard to the Yarrawonga and Surrounds Noticeboard Facebook page which required several hours to clean up.
“We have a bench seat in our backyard that we’re able to stand on, and I can unconditionally confirm that the tumble weeds are DEFINITELY coming from the land behind us.
“To further support this, if you drive east along the Murray Valley Highway, there are no tumble weeds crossing the highway.
“The properties (land) on the other side of the highway have been slashed, Silverwoods has none. “We can see hundreds of thousands of them in the land directly behind us.
“I cannot fathom how the council spokesperson came to his conclusion that “the property in question might not actually be the source of the weed.
This home in Havenstock Drive has recently been spared but was overcome last Tuesday.
“Perhaps the council need to walk in the paddock and see the numerous varieties of vegetation growing, not just do a drive by.”
