Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery has issued a stern warning after a spate of plant thefts from public spaces around Wollongong.
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Councillor Bradbery said council's horticultural teams had been working hard to spruce up the city's playgrounds, parks and verges with new plants as part of Council's Urban Greening Strategy.
However, several public spaces have been targeted with plant theft and other forms of tree vandalism.
"We're proud of the work our crews do each day to make Wollongong a vibrant and green place to live," Cr Bradbery said.
"Unfortunately, some people have been doing the wrong thing by stealing and damaging plants.
"Public spaces are for everyone and plant theft wastes money, takes additional time to fix and ruins the beauty of our city.
"Any act of vandalism, from breaking or removing trees to pulling the plants out of the ground to die, is not on. The wanton destruction of plants, trees or any public property is a pathetic act that detracts from our sense of community and is an unnecessary waste of resources."
Cr Bradbery said plant theft and tree vandalism on public land was a serious criminal offence, with offenders facing hefty fines.
"It's a shame to have to talk about the behaviour of just a few community members who are destroying and stealing plants from public land," he said.
"We're asking everyone to enjoy our local playgrounds, parklands, verges and beaches without souveniring the plants for another garden.
"Please leave our public spaces intact and undamaged for the next person."
Tree vandalism can come in many forms from poisoning, pruning, ringbarking, burning, removing or destroying plants.
"If you do see a plant you love, don't steal it. The Wollongong Botanic Garden holds regular subsidised plant sales for residents wanting to add colour to their garden with a range of native plants"
Report plant theft and tree vandalism to council via its website, or contact police.
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