Flower thief ruins blooming Warrego Hwy attraction

'ENOUGH is enough': Council stops replacing flowers after they were stolen one too many times

Flowers have been stolen from flowerbeds along the Warrego Highway three times in the past four months. Picture: Contributed

A GERANIUM thief is rife in Withcott.

Flower beds along the Warrego Highway, across from the Withcott Hotel, have been targetted, with someone removing freshly-planted geraniums.

Councillor for Parks and Gardens Janice Holstein said the flowers had been replaced multiple times after they had been stolen three times in four months.

"They had probably only been replanted a few weeks before and they were looking spectacular and the next time I drove past, they were gone again," Cr Holstein said.

"Enough is enough - that's just not on."

Cr Holstein said it cost about $200 to replace the flowers each time, plus the cost of staff time.

"The staff time to maintain them costs money - to water and weed them and make sure they're growing well," she said.

"It may very well be someone who is not local who is just driving through on their way to work, for all we know but we can't keep replacing it when they're continually being stolen," she said.

She said the flowers had originally been planted to replace trees, which hadn't been doing well because of exhaust fumes.

Fed up with replacing the blooms, the Lockyer Valley Regional Council has removed the flower boxes from Withcott and will be using them in the Laidley Spring Carnival.

The council is still deciding where the flower beds will be permanently re-homed.

Originally published as Flower thief ruins blooming Warrego Hwy attraction