Killer pine cones hit headlines

By Danielle Galvin
TALES of killer pine cones in Warragul have made international news headlines.
The New York Post featured the 10 kilogram pine cones in their Weird But True section.
“If you’re heading to Australia soon, look up,” warned the newspaper’s blog.
“The cones are so dangerous that authorities in the town of Warragul have roped off a bunya tree for fear someone might be killed.”
Baw Baw Shire Council warned Warragul visitors to keep their wits about them last week with reports of 10 kilogram pine cones dropping from the sky.
The 120-year-old bunya pine tree in Smith Street had begun dropping the over-sized pine cones from a height of 20 metres.
Cr Diane Blackwood issued a statement, warning residents to watch out.
“These huge pine cones have the capacity to be lethal if they were to fall on someone passing underneath from such a large height,” she said.
“As such, we are asking residents to be vigilant by staying well outside of the barricades that we have placed out on the footpath while we work with the owner and a consultant arborist to reach a quick and satisfactory solution to the problem.”
The tree, in the Courthouse Restaurant garden, hasn’t had pine cones on it for 15 years.
Coconuts kill more than 150 people worldwide and the council wasn’t leaving anything to chance.
“The council acted very quickly and had all pine cones removed with the use of a 40-foot high workstation by 7am the following morning, before the build up of people in the CBD of Warragul,” Cr Blackwood said.