Young and just beginning to bloom, trees in Wyndham St, Shepparton, have fallen victim to acts of vandalism.
More than two dozen have been irreparably damaged in separate incidents over the past few weeks.
These trees, stretching between Knight St and Balaclava Rd, were broken at their base, necessitating their removal by Greater Shepparton City Council’s arboriculture team.
The cost of this destructive act is estimated at over $450 per tree when accounting for initial watering and formative pruning, with an overall replacement cost exceeding $10,000.
These 23 crepe myrtle trees, planted in 2022 as part of the Urban Forest Strategy, had just begun to flourish, adding to the city’s green beauty.
Council’s acting manager of parks, sport and recreation, Eric Heeps, said it was extremely disappointing to see the vandalism occur, particularly given the damage caused to the trees had clearly been done on more than one occasion.
“Council will work to replace the trees and install cages around them to ensure this cannot happen in the future,” he said.
“It is a step we didn’t want to have to take; however, council wants to protect the greenery in the area and prevent the opportunity for further damage.”
Council officials are urging anyone who witnesses vandalism of trees on council property to promptly report it to the police.