Dry argument for Eynesbury

Eynesbury local Lyndall West. Pic Marco De Luca

Eynesbury residents fear Melton council has forgotten about their neighbourhood as they watch lush greenery wither away.

A number of residents are rallying the council to maintain the reserve at Benalla Avenue and Bendigo Drive as well as other community parks around the suburb.

Dean Hosking said to leave the public spaces in their current condition was “unacceptable”.

“When I moved to Eynesbury two years ago, the estate was just beautiful,” Mr Hosking said. “The gardens were well maintained, the grass was watered, green and lush … over the last two years I have slowly watched Melton council forget about us and let this once beautiful suburb, turn to a disgusting, dry sink hole.

“In almost two years, sprinklers in the main areas of Eynesbury have not been switched on.”

Danny Psaila, an Eynesbury resident of six years, said the reserve “has never been this bad”.

“It was only a few months ago the council invested in adding top soil to this reserve only not to follow it up and left it to die,” Mr Psaila said. “This community is only a shell of what it used to be and to know the infrastructure to make it green again is sitting there not being used, it’s very disappointing.”

Council’s parks co-ordinator Wayne Kratsis assured residents that the area had not been forgotten and that recent high temperatures has taken a toll on the plants.

“The irrigation continues to run in this reserve at present, we will increase this to assist in greening up the park,” Mr Kratsis wrote to residents.

“The hot summer this season has taken a toll on some of our reserves, we expect this to improve over the coming days with some natural rainfall forecast.”