A Melton South woman has been left bewildered by a mysterious hole in her backyard.
Larraine Collins found the 15 centimetre wide and 30 centimetre deep hole last week.
“It looked like a black thing sitting on the ground,” she said.
Ms Collins has been renting her property for more than two years and has had no similar problems.
“Everything’s been fine,” she said. “The owners come for regular check-ups and I pass with flying colours.”
And while the hole doesn’t pose too much of a danger, Ms Collins is afraid it might get bigger.
“If someone comes in and checks it out and just fills it in, that’s all I want,” she said. “I’ve got a bowl over it so the dog doesn’t go near it.”
The home’s owner, Eleanora Faraone, took to social media last week to ask for advice.
“I just got a call from my agent for a property I rent out and she said the tenant has told her there is a sinkhole in the backyard!!!” Ms Faraone wrote. “What do I do? Need advice!”
Ms Faraone told Star Weekly: “[The agent] called me yesterday and let me know the tenant had made her aware that there was a sinkhole on the side of the yard. We both went silent.”
Western Water customer and community relations manager Graham Holt said a staff member visited the property last Wednesday.
“[The staff member] found no problem with the sewer pipe and the owner has been advised it did not cause the hole,” Mr Holt said.
“We have no similar issues in the Melton area and are not aware of the sewer or water pipes causing sinkholes in our region.”
Melton council engineering services manager Les Stokes said the hole could have been caused by an issue with the drainage system.
“This is not a sinkhole as such,” he said. “It’s an indication of an issue with an underground drainage system that can be addressed.”
