Goya Dmytryshchak
Vandals have destroyed multiple elm trees in the Williamstown Botanic Gardens in what has been labelled a “despicable and senseless act“.
Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens president Betsy Dunne said hundreds of people had commented about how mindless and upsetting the vandalism was.
“It’s really upsetting to ourselves as the Friends, and also to the wider community that value the garden,“ she said.
“Over the period of the lockdown, people have really enjoyed the gardens … and this means that possibly this whole avenue of trees has to be pulled out and replanted because all the trees have been damaged and the rates of growth will be quite different.
“Even the trees that are left standing have had branches broken.“
Ms Dunne said the vandals had stood on industrial guards put in to protect the trees and swung on the branches to break them.
“We’d also like to point out that this is ratepayers’ money,“ she said.
“As a community, it’s really discouraging that we work to create this little area of beauty that people obviously really enjoy and then something like this happens.“
The gardens have Victorian and National heritage listing for their significance to the state.
Hobsons Bay mayor Colleen Gates said the attacks were “a drain on the public purse, and let down the entire community“.
“Replacing vandalised and stolen plants and trees costs council around $10,000 every year – this money could be used on a range of things including planting more trees across our city,“ she said.
