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City of Bayswater stays rooted to tough tree stance

Toyah ShakespeareEastern Reporter

After two tree poisonings in April last year, the council decided to erect the signs where unauthorised pruning, vandalism, poisoning or removal of vegetation occurred on City of Bayswater-owned or managed land for two years.

The signs are aimed at deterring vandals and encourage residents to contact the City to if they see suspicious behaviour.

Deputy Mayor Stephanie Coates put forward a motion at last week’s council meeting to review its public reserves policy to reduce the potential impact on innocent parties who lived near the vandalised trees.

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She said she was contacted by residents who lived near a sign on Peninsula Road, Maylands, who had received negative feedback from the public.

Cr Coates said when the residents sat at the front of their house, people walked past and shook their heads.

Cr Brent Fleeton said the policy “clearly impacts on a lot of people who don’t deserve it”.

But Cr Chris Cornish said while he had sympathy for the residents, he would not vote to see the positive work of the tree policy undone.

Cr Dan Bull said the council needed to retain the policy because the signs were a deterrent.

The motion was lost and the tree policy will stay in place.

A sign can be removed before the end of two years if a resident applies to the City to replace the vandalised vegetation.