Port Phillip Council workers fix a road pothole by planting a tree inside it

NEIGHBOURS in a St Kilda street asked their council to fix a pesky pothole in the road — but workers instead planted a tree in it, and no-one can understand why.

NEIGHBOURS in a St Kilda street asked their council to fix a pesky pothole — but workers instead planted a tree in it, and no-one can understand why.

The bizarre gardening effort has seen Port Phillip Council dubbed the “Fawlty Towers” of councils by Somerset St residents.

It’s understood the pothole resulted from heavy construction work on a nearby development.

TREE BIZARRELY PLANTED IN FRONT OF GOAL POSTS

COUNCIL INSTALLS $125K DRAIN BY MISTAKE

The street was closed for the best part of a year while that work was underway — then when it re-opened to traffic, residents asked the council to fill the pothole.

They were then astounded to find a small tree planted there.

“Port Phillip is the Fawlty Towers of councils,” a statement by Somerset St residents, sent to the Leader, read.

“We asked them to remove (the tree) as we believe it would be dangerous to drivers and pedestrians alike.”

Mayor Bernadene Voss said the tree was “mistakenly” planted in the asphalt and has now been been “quickly relocated” following the Leader’s inquiries.

“As (the nearby development) has recently been completed, a council officer was checking the area and assumed the deliberately cut out piece of road, which did not resemble a pothole, was an existing tree plot as there are other trees along the street,” she said.

The road is also due to be resurfaced, she said.

Neighbours have welcomed that news.

It’s the latest in a long string of Melbourne council fails.

LOCAL COUNCIL FAILS WE CAN’T FORGET

DANDENONG COUNCIL INSTALLS PARKING METER ON HIGHWAY

A parking meter was installed on Princes Highway in Dandenong almost three years ago, but no-one seems to be feeding it.

Council documents show it could take more than 20 years to recover the $8203 installation cost of the meter, which pulls in just $452 a year.

The barely-used parking meter.

BASKETBALL COURT USERS TOLD TO WHISPER

Port Phillip Council also copped flak when they installed a sign asking users of a Melbourne basketball court to “whisper before dusk and after dark”.

They got rid of the sign after they were accused of taking the nanny state concept to the next level, with the signs outside the basketball court at Eastern Reserve, South Melbourne.

Port Phillip Council removed this sign soon after erecting it.

BAYSIDE COUNCIL SPLASHES 125K ON ‘EMBARASSING’ CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

FURIOUS ratepayers declared Bayside Council’s $153,000 Christmas decorations in 2014 an embarrassing failure.

The council then attempted to spruce up shopping strips across Bayside by wrapping gold ribbon around street trees and securing it with cable ties, and sticking stars to fences and bins.

But ratepayers and traders declared them “embarrassing” and a “failure.”

Hampton’s Tayla (back) and Amelia were among those who hated Bayside’s Christmas decorations.

What’s the biggest council stuff-up you’ve seen? Comment below