Bamboo Removal in Victoria

A solid chunk of someone’s backyard was inundated with bamboo. They wanted the space cleared for aesthetics and liability reasons. It looked like a mess and proved too much to handle as a DIY project. Due to bamboo’s ability to spread and its classification as an invasive species here in Victoria, the homeowner is liable for their spread into other people’s properties.

For this a mini excavator was brought in to dig out the roots and rhizomes as much as possible. This is to prevent having to redo all of this in just a few months. The biggest challenge was the small opening of the gate which the machine could barely fit through. Having a smaller machine was not really an option because of how big the masses of rhizomes and root balls were, which proved to be a challenge even with this 4000 lb machine. The big clumps also had to be broken up sufficiently in order to fit on a wheelbarrow that could then be moved by hand to a dump trailer. The bamboo also had to be broken up as to fit inside the 10 ft long trailer.

In the end it was a success. All the bamboo was removed. There were no runners discovered spreading into other areas. A few clumps were saved at the owners’ request to be planted in a planter box, which is the best way to go with invasive species. And now the area has been cleared to look more clean, orderly, and there’s no more liability of having to pay to remove bamboo spreading to other properties.