It’s that time of the growing cycle again.
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Every seven to eight years, Bunya nuts sprout on the three tall trees in Belmore Park and one in Victoria Park.
One in Belmore Park was fenced off last week in the interests of caution, a Goulburn Mulwaree Council spokesman said.
Several large Bunya nuts, almost the size of soccer balls, had dropped onto the ground. While nobody was struck, the council has cordoned off the area for a week.
On Monday, a crane will be brought in, allowing staff to check for any other nuts about to drop.
The nuts can weigh up to 8kg and when dropped from a heady height, can kill or maim a person. It almost happened in Goulburn some eight years ago when one narrowly missed a boy on a bicycle, the Post understands. The nuts typically grow near the top of the tree.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council also introduced a crane in 2014 to rid the potential missiles from the trees. At that time, they filled two large bins.
While native to Queensland, the species, known as Araucaria Bidwillii, grows elsewhere. It is not known why they were introduced to Goulburn. Aboriginals ate the nut, said to taste like chestnuts, and used the bark for kindling.