@Normal:Trees Adventure director Marc Flaster stands by one of the stricken trees. 54302 Picture: Casey Neill
By Russell Bennett
CHAINSAW vandals have left a damage bill of $1 million after they slashed into 100-year-old heritage trees at Belgrave’s Glen Harrow Gardens’ Trees Adventure course.
The attackers used a chainsaw and an axe on five giant mountain ash trees on the heritage-listed land on Old Monbulk Road.
But the owners of Trees Adventure say the damage is not a risk to the park’s users and that its flying fox and high ropes course remains open.
The course opened in April after opposition from the local community and after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year overturned Yarra Ranges Council’s decision to reject the project following more than 50 objections.
Opponents said the park would have an adverse impact on the local area’s amenity and environment.
Detective Senior Constable Ross Hill from Yarra Ranges CIU said police were exploring “a few avenues” to identify those responsible for the tree attacks.
“We’re keeping an open mind and won’t rule out anything at this stage,” he said.
According to Sen Const Hill the attacks happened between 6pm on Tuesday 28 September and 9am the following day.
“They used the axe on two of the trees and the chainsaw on the other three,” he said.
“These are 100-plus year old, 60 metre high trees. They’re all ringbarked.”
He said an independent arborist estimated the damaged trees were worth $1 million.
“An arborist has told us they may not survive the next year.”
Trees Adventure manager Michelle Coleman said the trees’ integrity was currently intact but acknowledged it may not remain that way.
She said some trees on the property are more than 120 years old and several are listed on the National Trust Significant Tree Register.
“The trees play a big role in the adventure park,” she said.
“If they didn’t survive in the long-term we’d have to re-design the course and that would obviously be pretty costly.
“From what we’ve been told, though, they’re OK. Customers may not think they’re safe (for the flying fox) but they are.”
Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn said the attacks were a “pretty disgraceful act”.
“It has obviously taken a really long time for the trees to reach that size and to attack them like that is just really low,” she said.
“I’m just completely at a loss to understand why anyone would take a chainsaw to such iconic trees.”
“The mind boggles.”
Dating back to the 1870s, Glen Harrow is one of the oldest privately owned properties in the hills.
Police urged anyone with information on the attacks to contact Yarra Ranges CIU on 9739 2300 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
