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.