One word describes the tree situation and much of Darwin and the suburbs – “overgrown”.

This applies to both natives and to palms and all species in between.

Cyclone Marcus in March 2018 taught us a lot about vulnerability created by “out of control” vegetation.

A lot of trees came down and caused immense hardship that in many cases are still ongoing. But I wonder whether or not the city fathers and government have learned the lesson!

A drive around our city and suburbs reveals Carpenteria palms and others that are hopelessly tall and increasingly spindly because their perspective and proportion are all out of kilter.

Without doubt, these giants are going to come down sometime and when they do damage to houses and other buildings will be immense.

Casual observation reveals that many trees are still far too close to powerlines and strong wins will create further blackouts in the suburbs where overhead power still prevails. That’s everywhere, because undergrounding has not started.

There’s a lot that needs to be done! Unfortunately, there is still complacency around this matter