A tree deemed safe by a Melbourne council has come crashing down into a home as a mother and her two children were just metres away. 

The family had repeatedly reported their concerns to Merri-bek City Council with fears the tree would fall and kill them. 

At lunchtime yesterday the gum tree toppled, slamming into a Coburg house.

Tania Kanaan was inside with her newborn and one-year-old at the time.

“You don’t know what to think. You just grab your little ones and you just want to keep them safe,” she said.

Kanaan said an arborist had come to assess the gum tree in September.

“He assured me that the tree was was solid and I’m more likely to die of natural causes than the tree falling down,” she said.

“It just feels like council is valuing these trees more than people’s lives.”

“I think it’s a wake up call for the council, and I think they need to take immediate action in providing safety and security of their public,” her husband Kamal said.

In a statement to 9News, Merri-bek City Council said “the tree was inspected and assessed as not showing any signs of instability or structural issues”.