Mixed feelings is an understatement.

Powercor's Line Clearers came through today. They did a very tidy job.

But they cut down a bloody lot of trees and there are now big gaps in what was already an area with sod all vegetation on it.

Okay we accept that powerlines and trees are a bushfire risk - so the question has GOT to be asked - why the bloody hell are massive power runs like this sitting above ground? Why are the blasted poles so far apart if movement is a problem? (Rhetorical question obviously - I can spell short-term cost saving nasty stupid daft idiotic foolish tight fisted pig ignorant expediency.)

There's a gap in the fenceline to the south(ish) of the Orchard paddock that's startling wide and it's going to make that area even more poisonously hot than it was last summer, so I'm going to have to work out what the hell I can do about that - we've already got massive amounts of burn off in there from the summer from hell (which is still continuing - it's hot and horrible here again today and we've only had less than 1 ml of rain in the last week or so).

So we've got some mulch - and the place reeks of Eucalyptus smell - but still why the hell we as a society won't suck it up and put power lines and other essential services underground once and for all defeats me completely. (Don't quote "cost" at me - we seem to be able to pull money out of all sorts of orifices for other things - but real / cost-saving / planet saving / stop screwing with the environment stuff.... nah sod that for a joke).

Short term thinking just sucks big time and the bureaucrats who foster that sort of behaviour should be called for what they are.