Punishment to fit crime
Good work, Port Stephens council! I love their style in this case.
Some people cut down some trees on a nature reserve. Funnily enough these trees seemed to be getting in the way of some residents’ water views. But this council decided not to take this lying down. What did they do?
Stuck 2 big shipping containers stacked on top of each other right where the trees used to be. Sucked in whoever cut down the trees to improve their view. Of course, the locals are angry, calling the green monolith “a monument to stupidity” and complain they are being treated like children. And the council agrees, according to group manager, facilities and services, Mike Trigar.
“Obviously those people who weren’t involved (in chopping down the trees) and now have their views obstructed are not happy, and we appreciate that position,” he said.
“But it’s like if you can’t find the perpetrator in school, so everybody is held back for detention.”
The local residents are seething at being treated as guilty until proven innocent. One said:
“We don’t like being guilty until proven innocent. This is Australia, not Russia or China,”
and another:
“They have no proof that a resident cut those trees. It could have been drunken idiots from somewhere else.”
How convenient, and thoughtful of those drunken idiots to pick on those pesky trees that were blocking the residents’ views of the water. What do they have up in Port Stephens, drunken idiot good samaritans? I’d bet that its about 99% sure that it was one of the residents who did it.
If the others don’t want the containers to stay, simple solution …. dob in the offenders! Of course, when the council gets this information and take the containers away, the offender(s) should get a special treat … I’d say a huge advertising billboard right across their front yard, to stay there until the replanted trees are fully grown.
March 23rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
No witness so far?
I believe the containers were ther to protect the area while being investigated for whoever cut down those poor trees.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Funny. That is pretty action oriented for a council.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Hahaha! That’s fantastic! I love a council with a sense of humour!
Cheers!
March 25th, 2008 at 10:10 am
About time a council did something affirmative like this!
The shipping containers are just a subtle reminder of what lies beyond the residents’ views…
March 25th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
We actually are discussing this same thing on one of the forums I am on and depending on what their local laws are it probably could be illegal to cut down trees within a certain feet distance from the embankment. I know here it is illegal to cut down oak trees without authority from the historic society.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Great story. I find it hilarious that it “could have been drunken idiots from somewhere else.” You just can’t make up quotes like that.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Up there for creative thinking eh? What’s the bet the residents were trying to get the council to remove the trees before they took matters into their own hands. Therefore giving them a fairly good inkling of what happened. What a hilarious story.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:17 am
“Drunken idiots from somewhere else” or not I say when will people ever learn?
Thanks and
Cheers