New twist for pensioner in two-year battle with council over a retaining wall

A Queensland pensioner has been in a fight with his local council for almost two years after a retaining wall at the front of his property collapsed and he was told to fix it himself.

But nine months after speaking to A Current Affair, Russell Island resident Trevor Small, 76, has finally had some good news, with the Redland City Council finally taking some responsibility.

"Nothing was happening for me, nothing at all until you people got involved," Mr Small said.

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The wooden retaining wall at the front of Mr Small's property had been left in ruins after a major downpour in February 2020 caused it to collapse.

"The sheer volume of water and the soil was just too much for the fence. It toppled over," Mr Small previously told A Current Affair.

Despite Redland City Council putting the wall in to protect the road below it, on land that is not owned by Mr Small, the 76-year-old was told it was his responsibility to fix.

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"The council did erect the retaining wall, but there was no paperwork submitted to the council when they done it, therefore it's illegal - 'We don't want to know about it,'" Mr Small claimed he was told.

And that's where his battle with his local council began.

"They were throwing everything at me to make me fix it," he said.

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After more than a year of getting nowhere and out of desperation, Mr Small then contacted A Current Affair.

And after our story went to air, Redland City Council took responsibility, fixing the wall at its own expense.

The now concrete retaining wall has already passed a crucial test by withstanding more than 400 millimetres of rain.

But Mr Small doesn't think it would have been fixed at all if A Current Affair had not become involved and neither does his neighbour Karen Abear.

"I seriously did not think it was going to be resolved at all," Ms Abear said.

"Two years of waiting and such a mess and it just looks beautiful now. I'm so happy for him.

"I certainly believe that it would not have happened without A Current Affair and I'd just like to say thank you for all of your help and insistence in this and the outcome's just great."

Mr Small added: "I just can't say enough for A Current Affair for what it's done for me. It is brilliant."