‘Back off’: Blunt message to illegal tree loppers

It’s big, bold and will carry an unmissable message: ‘Back off’.

FIVE trees illegally lopped at Haliday Bay will be replaced with a large billboard with a stern message to the public.

Deputy Mayor Karen May said the 1.8m x 3.6m billboard would be installed in the space create by vegetation vandals at the Haliday Bay Rd beachfront earlier this month.

Cr May, when asked what message she would like to send the community on the billboard, quipped: "It's probably not good for me to say."

"It's really about educating the community," she said.

But when pressed for a message, she replied: "Back off."

As well as the billboard, the felled trees would not be cleared and instead 15 new plants would be planted in a brazen counter-attack from Mackay Regional Council.

The council on Wednesday unanimously voted to enact the six-point plan to counter the vandalism.

Cr May said the council's policy was to replace trees at a ratio of three for every one cut down.

"Whatever view has been created will be blocked out," Cr May said.

"The other side of this is education to the community and telling people it is not acceptable to be cutting trees down on the esplanade."

Council investigated the vandalism described as "extremely significant" when it was reported on January 16, but prosecution was unlikely.

It was the second time the Haliday Bay beachfront was targeted by vandals, with council replacing trees in 2013.

It was noted none of the trees replanted then had remained.

Cr May said the council applied its vegetation vandalism policy to all reported instances.

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