Neighbours at war over man’s 6m backyard wall
Many of us got bored during lockdown, because, let’s be honest, there are only so many things you can bake and only so many episodes of Friends you can watch in a row. One man's solution for this was decidedly more unusual than everyone else’s boredom busters – he decided to build a 5.65-metre fence in his Chester Hill backyard in Western Sydney.
He said that he decided to build the fence both because he was bored in lockdown, and because he wanted some privacy. He dubs his new wall ‘The Great Wall of Chester Hill’, although there’s no word if this Great Wall can be seen from space. It’s three times the height of your typical suburban fence, and his neighbours are far from thrilled about Ali’s newfound hobby.
Telling A Current Affair that he must have had a ‘Covid brain explosion’, Ali said, “Well, when you’re sitting at home and you’re not allowed to go nowhere and the neighbours are looking at you, you say ’you know what? I’m going to build a bloody wall.” He added, “It‘s like going to an art museum when you look at it.”
The wall is made from a steel frame, posts and potted gum timber. It even includes a panel that lights up in the dark. Meanwhile, the back of the wall, the side Ali can’t see, has wires and nails sticking out. Ali explained that he was going to do a nice feature wall on the other side, “but when you have d**khead neighbours, then that‘s what happens.”
Neighbours have complained to Cumberland Council numerous times, saying that the wall was incredibly high and blocked the view.
In his defence, Ali pointed out that all he had done was replace a row of dying trees with this new structure that was the exact same height.
But despite his protestations, Ali has been issued with a notice for the wall to be removed within two weeks.
Ali said that he’s put in a late appeal, but will sell the fence if necessary. As for who might be interested in owning Chester Hill’s very own Great Wall, he didn’t say.
Image: A Current Affair