Site at Mant Street in Point Vernon where trees were poisoned to remain fenced off

A $30,000 fence set up the local council in front of prime real estate on the Hervey Bay Esplanade isn’t going anywhere. Here’s how councillors voted.

‘Temporary’ fencing will be in place for quite a bit longer after a vote in Wednesday’s Fraser Coast council meeting.

The towering fence among the trees at the end of Mant St and the Esplanade at Point Vernon was set up in response to the repeated poisoning of trees and vegetation in July, 2019.

Local residents were divided over whether the measure was a necessary deterrent or unfairly punished the many for the actions of a few.

A report presented to the council meeting claimed it was necessary to keep the fencing in place to allow the rehabilitation of the site to continue.

In total the project, which targeted Mant St despite several other Esplanade locations also being damaged by environmental vandals and covers the rehabilitation and fencing, is expected to cost ratepayers $70,000.

A herbicide was used to kill trees and vegetation which was blocking the ocean views from the Esplanade.

No culprit has ever been caught.

According to the council report, this meant the council was forced to fund the rehabilitation works from its Natural Environment budget, using up dollars which would have supported other projects in the region.

The report also states the site was not replanted until June this year to allow the herbicide time to degrade and avoid killing new plants.

A total of 2000 native plants have been planted at the site, with a watering regime that will be reduced as they get established.

“It is vital that the temporary fencing remains on site to protect the vegetation to prevent people using the area as a walking track and to assist with minimising potential for further illegal damage to the newly planted vegetation,” the report read.

“The vast majority of the original trees on site have died or were adversely impacted.”

The report suggested that when the temporary fencing was removed, post and rail could be installed as a delineation marker to keep people off the vegetation.

“Interpretative signing about the importance of the site is also planned,” the report read.

In December last year, Councillor David Lee was set to bring a motion for the immediate removal of the fencing, but it was withdrawn at the last minute.

On Wednesday, the councillors voted unanimously to accept the report.