If You Cut Down a Tree for a Better View in Australia, Authorities Block Your View With ‘Vandalism' Signboards
While gazing at greenery often calms our souls, some people find the lush, green trees a hindrance - especially when they block a scenic view from their home. In the past couple of years, several Australians have reported incidents of illegal tree cutting just because some entitled vandals wanted to have an ocean view from their wealth-soaked houses. Authorities, however, have started taking these incidents seriously. In a post made to a Reddit forum, u/Rd28T shared pictures of some signs that the Australian government puts on every place where they spot “tree vandalism.”
BBC reports that Sydney Councils have recently noticed a rapid increase in cases of “tree vandalism,” some of which were reported by local residents. One disheartening incident was the case of a brutal mass felling that occurred in Castle Cove. More than two hundred trees were chopped off and so much chemical was used that authorities dreaded that it could wipe away marine life in the harbor. Another case was reported by a resident Thomas Druery, who goes as u/Silk-Touch. He was taking a walk down Hunter’s Hill when he noticed that a tree had been cut down. He shared the screenshot of a blue signboard that authorities put there. “Someone chopped down a tall tree to get a better view of Sydney harbor so they put up a tall sign where it once was to block the view,” he wrote.
In the pics shared, one sign reads, “This vegetation has been illegally vandalized,” while the other reads, “Who poisoned my home?” The sign shared by Druery is also included in this post, and it reads, “Tree vandalism has occurred in this area.” One board reads, “Trees shouldn’t die for a view.” In the comment section, u/luuk341 called out these tree-cutters, saying, “Who cuts trees that 'block' a view? Trees are the view!” At the same time, people are appreciating this move by the Australian government. “I very much approve of this. It should be adopted in the US,” commented u/7leagueboots.
Writing about this grim scenario, journalist Paul Daley said to The Guardian, “Too little mind is given to the physical, psychological, community, environmental, spiritual, historical and climatic benefit of trees (not to mention their sentience) that are being sacrificed in an epidemic of disgraceful small-minded, deep-pocketed, arrogant water-view-lust all around this city and elsewhere.” Where there was once a myriad of ancient myrtles, Huon pines, river red gums, and dinosaur trees, now lurks a raw threat of being scraped by some affluent ones’ chainsaws and drills.
But it isn’t just the aesthetics that’s the truth of the matter, it’s also the environmental damage. Noting in The Guardian, arboricultural scientist Greg Moore said, “People think of trees in gardens and streets as essentially being decoration. They don’t think of them as being functional, but the impact of illegal vegetation removal in terms of the urban heat island effect and local temperatures is enormous.” All those tree trunks that were mercilessly murdered cannot be brought back, but these giant signboards at least ensure that the surviving trees will at last breathe relief that someone is there to protect them.