Plants stolen from Canterbury Gardens

Green thumbs raking in five-finger discounts by stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of shrubs from public parks and gardens have been put on notice by Boroondara Council.

Thieving “ratbags” are ripping up plants in Boroondara’s parks, causing hundreds of dollars worth of damage at ratepayers’ expense.

Up to 20 star jasmines were torn out of garden beds at the Read Gardens in Camberwell over the past 24 months, while salvia flowers have also been uprooted from Canterbury Gardens, Boroondara Council spokeswoman Carolyn Terry said.

About $200 worth of plants were also taken from the Boroondara Leisure Centre, she said, and she warned sticky fingered green thumbs could be slapped with a $200 fine if caught.

“Sometimes people remove plants or flowers they fancy without being aware that they cannot remove them from the gardens,” she said.

“Persons caught illegally removing plants will be reported to Victoria Police.”

A warning sign erected by Boroondara Council at Canterbury Gardens..

The repeated thefts prompted the council to erect signs at Canterbury Gardens reminding visitors stealing is a crime, she said.

The signs also inform park users that some plants may not be replaced.

A man who spoke to the Leader at the garden’s last week said the “ratbags” responsible for the thefts needed to be punished, even if they turned out to be young children.

“The ratbags need to be hauled before their schools or their parents or something,” the man, who did not want to be named, said.

Mayor Jane Addis said the thefts were “disappointing” and ratepayers suffered because they had to foot the bill for the missing flora.

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“The victim in this situation is the community who not only have to pay for the plants, but also miss out on the pleasures of enjoying these wonderful gardens,” she said.

Ms Terry estimated the council spent $400 replacing stolen plants over the past two years, but she said hours of work by the council’s gardeners were also lost.

“This hard work (maintaining the gardens) is undone in seconds when people steal plants,” she said.

“Plants and flowers are installed for the community to enjoy. The theft of garden plants ruins the amenity of our community gardens.”