Farmers stunned after SA Power Networks damage apple trees just before harvest at Lenswood

Two Adelaide Hills farmers are in shock after SA Power Networks cut back apple trees just a week before harvest, ruining years of work.

Ellimatta Orchards owner, Kym Green and Hillview Fruits owner, Ashley Green, on their Hills property. Picture: Dean Martin

Apple farmers in Lenswood say tree cutting work for SA Power Networks has caused unnecessary damage to their fruit trees that will undo years of hard work.

Ellimatta Orchards owner Kym Green and Hillview Fruits owner Ashley Green said they thought contractors engaged by SAPN for powerline clearance works, would only trim gum trees on their adjoined properties last month.

Instead, they were shocked to find their trees had been significantly cut down just a week before harvest and that the works had sent “bloody fruit everywhere” as a result of what they claim were large trucks being driven through the orchards.

Apple farmers in Lenswood say tree cutting work for SA Power Networks has caused unnecessary damage to their fruit trees a week before harvest. Picture: Dean Martin

Ellimatta Orchards owner Kym Green and Hillview Fruits owner Ashley Green said the trees would now revert to a growth phase rather than produce fruit. Picture: Supplied

Showing the damage to The Advertiser on Monday at his orchard, Kym said: “Look, these trees are never gonna reach the bloody top of the power lines.”

“Now it’s been cut out of balance,” he said. “It’ll grow like hell. We probably won’t get much fruit off it at all.

“It’ll switch from a fruiting phase back to a growth phase. It’s undone the work of many years.

“If this was in November, it probably wouldn’t have been so bad. But we’ve suffered through a bloody drought and thinned this fruit and got it right ready to harvest.

“On the ground she went.”

Ashley said more than 150 of his trees had been cut down to the top trellis wire, a significant distance from the powerlines above, on his side of the property.

He was critical that SAPN would allow such works to “a crop that is someone’s livelihood”.

“We pour a lot of effort and money into growing the crop. They’ve got to treat us with a little more respect.”

SAPN external affairs manager Cecilia Schutz told The Advertiser a notice of intent for the works was given to the business on January 31, followed by “verbal notifications” leading up to the cutting.

It comes as the apple producers struggle with the effects of SA’s drought. Picture: Dean Martin

The owners claim more than 150 of their trees were affected. Picture: Kym Green

“Our vegetation management activities are mandated by legislation to ensure the safety of the public and the reliability of our network, particularly in high bushfire risk areas,” she said. “Lenswood is in a high bushfire risk area.”

In a letter to independent MP Dan Cregan, SAPN chief executive Andrew Bills said a previous private vegetation clearance agreement was cancelled in 2024 after SAPN identified the business was allegedly not complying by maintaining the required clearance from powerlines.

He said SAPN had been advised that the property required increased clearance with “an additional ‘buffer zone’ to mitigate the risk of regrowth in a 12-month period for a high bushfire risk area”.

“We understand that the trimming may have caused some inconvenience and impact to the orchards,” Mr Bills said.

Mr Cregan said SAPN seemed “tone deaf to the losses this had caused”.

“Nobody in their right mind cuts an apple tree just before harvest,” he said.

Originally published as Farmers stunned after SA Power Networks damage apple trees just before harvest at Lenswood