By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
MOUNT Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) and the Mount Evelyn Chamber of Commerce (MECCI) have had their hard work ruined by a tree thief.
The two community groups had spent a lot of time and money replanting the flower boxes along Wray Crescent in Mount Evelyn only to have an orange flowering gum stolen out of the ground.
The gum tree had been torn from the newly planted earth and replaced with a rose bush.
President of Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association Clare Clare Worsnop said the two groups were very disappointed with the theft.
“MEEPPA and MECCI have jointly planned, financed and planted native plants into our street boxes to give an attractive and colourful display all-year round,” she said.
“The plants were carefully chosen with the help of Kuranga nursery for this purpose and have a retail value of over $300, so it is extremely disappointing to find some small-minded, selfish person has chosen to steal one of our trees.”
The police have been informed of the theft, and the groups are hoping the CCTV cameras in the area will help identify the person or persons responsible.
“We just want our tree back,” Ms Worsnop said.
“Until then the rose bush will be planted in a more appropriate place.”
