‘We’d just tended to it’: Council slammed after long-tended landmark suddenly wiped out
- Replies 0
Gardens are often a labour of love, blooming quietly under the care of dedicated hands.
But when a long-standing community effort is abruptly undone, it can spark outrage and heartbreak in equal measure.
Such is the case in one town where a cherished local landmark was reduced to bare soil overnight.
A beloved Alice Springs roundabout garden, nurtured for over two decades by local horticulturalist Geoff Miers, was destroyed last week when council contractors mistakenly cleared it using a whipper snipper.
The roundabout, located at the intersection of Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue, had been planted with Sturt's desert peas—flowers native to Central Australia and significant to the area’s identity.
Just one day before the incident, Geoff, 75, had spent over four hours tending to the garden with his wife Kaye, unaware their efforts were about to be wiped away.
‘I was stunned. I couldn't believe it, especially as we had been tending to the roundabout the day before,’ Geoff shared.
He explained that the garden was first established more than 22 years ago, when he planted it with horticultural students from Charles Darwin University.
As a passionate horticulturalist, Geoff said his goal was to ‘keep Alice looking good’ and that this roundabout had long stood as a point of pride in the community.
It was reported that the contractors mistook the native plants—which had not yet bloomed—for weeds and removed them.
Geoff blamed the destruction on poor training and a lack of supervision.
‘Simply it boils down to a lack of adequate training and a lack of direct and clear supervision,’ he said.
He had designed the garden to be self-sustaining, requiring minimal upkeep beyond occasional watering and weeding.
The devastation of the roundabout prompted a strong backlash from locals, with the Alice Springs News publishing a fiery letter from a resident demanding a full investigation.
‘The Town Council needs a rigorous, independent review to restore democratic representation, transparency and sanity,’ the letter read.
‘The council’s wanton destruction of the iconic Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue roundabout planted with Sturt Desert Peas is final proof, if more was needed, that it lacks all three.’
Local member of the legislative assembly Joshua Burgoyne also condemned the incident on social media.
‘We need to be encouraging locals to care for their spaces. Not destroying them by taking the whipper snipper to them,’ he wrote.
Geoff had recently propagated more of the desert peas and planted them at a second roundabout near Burgoyne’s office.
‘I want to thank him for his ongoing work ensuring Alice Springs looks it’s best,’ Burgoyne added.
Photos showed the vibrant red blooms before the destruction, alongside a disheartened Geoff standing near the now-barren site wearing his Akubra.
Geoff’s wife Kaye had been photographed the day before the incident, gently tending to the not-yet-flowering plants.
The Alice Springs Town Council declined to comment when approached by Yahoo News.
It was understood the council offered Geoff compensation, though he declined to pursue the matter further.
‘ didn't want to know about it so we never got that far [with a dollar amount],’ he said.
‘They are full of apologies and realise it was a complete stuff-up. It will be discussed at the next full council meeting next Tuesday, 27th May.’
Geoff remained determined to restore the garden once the water supply—removed years ago without explanation—was reinstated.
‘It will come back again when I get some water put on, even if I have to treat and direct seed the roundabout,’ he said.
In a previous story, we looked at another garden-related concern affecting households across the country.
While some locals are battling to preserve beloved green spaces, others may be facing a very different kind of threat.
Read more about the garden menace that could be lurking in your own backyard.
With so much time, effort and heart poured into this cherished garden, should locals have more say in how community spaces are managed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
But when a long-standing community effort is abruptly undone, it can spark outrage and heartbreak in equal measure.
Such is the case in one town where a cherished local landmark was reduced to bare soil overnight.
A beloved Alice Springs roundabout garden, nurtured for over two decades by local horticulturalist Geoff Miers, was destroyed last week when council contractors mistakenly cleared it using a whipper snipper.
The roundabout, located at the intersection of Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue, had been planted with Sturt's desert peas—flowers native to Central Australia and significant to the area’s identity.
Just one day before the incident, Geoff, 75, had spent over four hours tending to the garden with his wife Kaye, unaware their efforts were about to be wiped away.
Decades-old garden destroyed by mistake. Image source: ABC/Alice Springs/Emma Haskin
‘I was stunned. I couldn't believe it, especially as we had been tending to the roundabout the day before,’ Geoff shared.
He explained that the garden was first established more than 22 years ago, when he planted it with horticultural students from Charles Darwin University.
As a passionate horticulturalist, Geoff said his goal was to ‘keep Alice looking good’ and that this roundabout had long stood as a point of pride in the community.
It was reported that the contractors mistook the native plants—which had not yet bloomed—for weeds and removed them.
Geoff blamed the destruction on poor training and a lack of supervision.
‘Simply it boils down to a lack of adequate training and a lack of direct and clear supervision,’ he said.
He had designed the garden to be self-sustaining, requiring minimal upkeep beyond occasional watering and weeding.
The devastation of the roundabout prompted a strong backlash from locals, with the Alice Springs News publishing a fiery letter from a resident demanding a full investigation.
‘The Town Council needs a rigorous, independent review to restore democratic representation, transparency and sanity,’ the letter read.
‘The council’s wanton destruction of the iconic Undoolya Road and Lindsay Avenue roundabout planted with Sturt Desert Peas is final proof, if more was needed, that it lacks all three.’
Local member of the legislative assembly Joshua Burgoyne also condemned the incident on social media.
‘We need to be encouraging locals to care for their spaces. Not destroying them by taking the whipper snipper to them,’ he wrote.
Geoff had recently propagated more of the desert peas and planted them at a second roundabout near Burgoyne’s office.
‘I want to thank him for his ongoing work ensuring Alice Springs looks it’s best,’ Burgoyne added.
Photos showed the vibrant red blooms before the destruction, alongside a disheartened Geoff standing near the now-barren site wearing his Akubra.
Geoff’s wife Kaye had been photographed the day before the incident, gently tending to the not-yet-flowering plants.
The Alice Springs Town Council declined to comment when approached by Yahoo News.
It was understood the council offered Geoff compensation, though he declined to pursue the matter further.
‘ didn't want to know about it so we never got that far [with a dollar amount],’ he said.
‘They are full of apologies and realise it was a complete stuff-up. It will be discussed at the next full council meeting next Tuesday, 27th May.’
Geoff remained determined to restore the garden once the water supply—removed years ago without explanation—was reinstated.
‘It will come back again when I get some water put on, even if I have to treat and direct seed the roundabout,’ he said.
In a previous story, we looked at another garden-related concern affecting households across the country.
While some locals are battling to preserve beloved green spaces, others may be facing a very different kind of threat.
Read more about the garden menace that could be lurking in your own backyard.
With so much time, effort and heart poured into this cherished garden, should locals have more say in how community spaces are managed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
