Retiree goes to war with Mornington Peninsula Shire council after he turned his street’s nature strip into a garden – now he faces an $8,000 fine
A retiree who planted agapanthuses on the curbside nature strip of his beachside property has locked horns with the local council after being told he faces an $8,000 fine.
Neil McPherson, known as ‘Mac’ among locals, put up a row of agapanthus plants out the front of his home on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne’s southeast over the past six years.
The 79-year-old, who ‘meticulously’ looks after the small leafy green trees popular with many Aussie households, now faces a $7,692 fine if he doesn’t remove them.
The Mornington Pensinsula Shire council says the aggies are ‘illegal’ and cannot be placed on the curbside, which is a part of council land.
Neil McPherson (pictured) was informed by the local council that he faces a fine of almost $8,000 if he doesn’t remove the aggies he planted
‘They want to get rid of aggies from the peninsula, well it will never happen in my lifetime or in my grandson’s lifetime, I mean they’re just everywhere,’ Mr McPherson told A Current Affair.
‘I love the aggies,’ he said.
The controversy started when Mr McPherson and his wife applied to council for a permit to build a carport.
When an inspector from the council visited their property to take a look at the area where the structure would be built, he took a photo of the aggies along the curbside.
‘They sent a notice of compliance saying these are against by law and that’s how it all started,’ Mr McPherson said.
The council ordered him to remove the trees by March or cop the hefty fine.
Mr McPherson said he has dug his heels in and won’t give up without a fight.
The 79-year-old retiree (pictured), who ‘meticulously’ looks after the plants, said he won’t give up his fight to contest the council’s ruling
‘It was shocking, it’s just a joke and I [am not] giving in,’ he said.
Mr McPherson argues that his nature ship is among dozens of areas across his neighbourhood and on the Mornington Peninsula where hundreds of aggies are planted.
He said the plants are on council-managed nature strips elsewhere, slamming the ruling as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘dictatorial’.
‘Every argument they have put up is just a furphy, it’s just pathetic,’ he said.
Mr McPherson has planted 27 trees on the outside of the fence line and 40 on the inside, making sure he carefully looks after them.
His gardening exploits have drawn the praise of his neighbours who said he has done a magnificent job looking after the plants.
Mr McPherson, who has planted dozens of plants and trees outside and inside his property (pictured), said there are hundreds of aggies across council-owned land on the Mornington Peninsula
Mr McPherson has been dealt a further blow by the council who also ordered him to remove a wheelchair accessible footpath that he built out the front of his home.
He faces a fine of more than $15,000.
The council said in a statement to ACA the plants and the footpath were built without their approval.
‘No fines have been issued but Mr McPherson has been asked to remove the landscaping from the nature strip outside his property,’ they said.
‘The Shire did not take six years to issue a compliance notice. We responded to this issue as soon as it was reported to us.’
Daily Mail contacted Mornington Peninsula Shire council for further comment.
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