Poisoned trees in Hume

Garry Brockley

This is the latest in court actions against the poisoning of trees,

Tree ruling a win for Hume - Local News - News - General - Hume Weekly

Tree ruling a win for Hume30 Nov, 2010 01:00 AM
HUME Council has won a case involving the deliberate poisoning of 32 river red gums at a property in Craigieburn.
The Broadmeadows Magistrates Court awarded the council $31,000 in costs following a case hearing on November 19.

While the landowner in question could not be proven to be guilty of poisoning of the trees, the court found destroying native vegetation was not acceptable and the landowner was responsible for all activities conducted on his or her property.

The destruction of river red gums or other remnant vegetation, including grasses, without appropriate permits or exemptions is illegal in Hume.

After the council was alerted to the dying trees in June last year, its 18-month investigation revealed the trees, estimated to be hundreds of years old, were poisoned early last year.

Holes were drilled in the trees and a herbicide, commonly found in Round-Up, was poured in.

Mayor Geoff Porter said river red gums were iconic features of Hume's landscape.

"Aside from providing amenity for humans, they are food sources and habitat for many native animals," Cr Porter said.

"Hume Council takes the conservation and protection of our environment very seriously."

Cr Porter said the court ruling sent a clear message to the Hume community that environmental destruction would not be tolerated.


So even though there was no evidence against the land owner it was deemed he was responsible for the trees demise wow!

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Apocalypsse

That is sooo incredibly awesome, if they could do the same for natures strip trees it would be even better. 32 100s of yo trees, you would have to offset that with 1000+ new trees.

Eric Frei

It would also be awesome for those who poison their neighbours trees, and the neighbour cops it for ....

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Sunraysia Tree Solutions

Are the council then responsible for trees being poisoned on their nature strips?
It's their land.

Its a pitty scientists cant use CSI like technology to identify a drill that made the holes in the tree, police would have to of course get court permission to confiscate a suspects drill.

Eric Frei

According to the logic of that judge/court .... Yes.

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Jeff Darby

That's going to open up a can of worms..

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Member: Australian Tree Association

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Apocalypsse

Trespassing on the nature strip and vandalizing council property?

Garry Brockley

This case could open up a whole can of worms for people who have thier trees poisoned

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Eric Frei

The council took the landowner to court, but who is going to take the council to court when their trees on their land are deliberately poisoned?

I'd say if the landowner appealed this he'd win, innocent till proven guilty is the law in Australia and although a landowner is deemed to be responsible for all activities on their land that would have to exclude criminal acts one would think, especially if he had no idea.

Just maybe some-one somewhere had a vengeance? Maybe an adjacent landowner had something to gain?

In July 2010 there was a poisoning in north Queensland of capsicum and tomato crops, millions of plants killed when herbicide was put into the irrigation water. Prices skyrocketed afterwards for those growers unaffected.

Tomato plants poisoning 'industrial sabotage' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

But nearby to the farms was an unaffected farm who didn't use that irrigation water .... so he becomes the suspect.

After months of being bad mouthed and investigated that guy makes a press statement.

We didn't poison crops: Bowen grower

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