‘Extremely significant’ vegetation vandalism at Haliday Bay and Shoal Point

Seaside property owners willing to break local laws for ocean views will have a boring billboard and triple the number of trees in their eyeline as ratepayers fork out to save the shores.

Ratepayers will fork out more than $7000 to curb illegal tree clearing for ocean views in two seaside suburbs.

Billboards and the planting of three times as many plants are being recommended as the response to two “extremely significant” recent cases of vegetation vandalism in Haliday Bay and Shoal Point.

Both the cases in question are considered repeat offences, with Haliday Bay previously investigated in January 2020 when trees were cut down.

Mackay Regional Council enacted its Vegetation Vandalism policy, replanting three trees for every one cut down and installing in June 2020 a 1.8m x 3.6m billboard to block the view and educate the public.

“All revegetated trees have been damaged and have died or are missing,” council documents state, adding officers found snapped branches at the site.

The council on Wednesday will vote on whether to follow through with the policy again, planting 45 trees based on the previous 15 after the first case of detected vandalism.

Replanting and six months maintenance will cost about $2950.

Another extreme case was detected at O’Brien Esplanade at Shoal Point where council officers reported vegetation was cut with a saw and found evidence of possible poisoning of other trees.

The site was inspected in May this year.

The council proposes replanting at a density of three for every one plant damaged, or 60 plants, and complete previously started plans to install a 1.8m x 3.6m billboard.

It will cost ratepayers $1000 to complete the billboard install, and $3100 in replanting and maintenance on the plants.

About 40 trees were previously cut down at the site in March 2018.

Environmental damage at 195 Haliday Bay Rd at Haliday Bay. Picture: Contributed

Council officers at both sites spoke with nearby property owners but it had “not been possible to gather evidence proving the identity of the person responsible for the vandalism”.

Enforcement action in both cases is not recommended.

Mackay Regional Councillors will be presented with both cases at the Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday, April 13.

The recommended response aligns with Mackay Regional Council’s controversial Tree and/or Vegetation Vandalism Policy, which outlines how the council should respond to deliberate tree and vegetation vandalism events on council-managed land.