Tuesday 1 December 2009

Tree Poisoning in our Parks

Trees in Sir James Mitchell Park and Sandon Park have died. The City’s Environment Manager has reported today that laboratory analysis of soil and tree tissue from Sandon Park shows that the trees were poisoned.

The herbicide used to kill this vegetation is Hexazinone, commonly known as "Velpar". This herbicide has an extremely toxic effect on native vegetation, but poses little threat to humans in moderate dosages. However, the amounts indicated within the soil and tissue samples have proved to be well outside the standard application rate, so much so that it appears the herbicide has been poured directly onto the vegetation, without dilution.

At the more than twenty five Community Visioning meetings over the last year, one of the things that people said they most valued about South Perth was its green, leafy nature. It would seem that some owners of premium real estate might wish to destroy this in order to enhance their own river views.

Have your say by clicking “Comments” below.

2 comments:

Wilma said...

It should make the people who did this very ill!

Don said...

If the city have a cost to replace and maintain the poisoned trees
until they are of a suitable size again, (say $60K) and you can see
which residents may benefit from the dead trees being removed,
let's say 20 residents, then move a motion at Council to charge
those 'benefitting residents' a share of the costs. Example $3k each.

Include in the motion the alternative that if the culprit(s) can be identified, that leads to a successful prosecution, then the $60K replacement costs will be billed to those residents only.

Other Councils have erected container walls and that could curb
future problems!

Don YATES