Mayor urges residents to look-out for vandals

Mayor John Davis is calling on residents to keep a look-out after the latest spate of vandalism in the Somerset Wetlands.

Council staff discovered 12 trees, each between three to five metres tall, had been felled by a vandal with a machete over the weekend.

The incident, the latest in a series of weekend attacks, has been reported to police.

On the previous weekend, around fifteen smaller trees, put in during community tree-planting days, were chopped down.

“The Somerset wetlands are hugely popular with residents of the neighbourhood, and it’s tragic when this kind of mindless vandalism leaves it mark,” Cr John Davis said.

“These wetlands are a green corridor that runs alongside housing areas between Molong Road and Burrendong Way.

"They’re a breeding hot-spot for native birds and the paths attract hundreds of dog-walkers and cyclists every week.

“If someone’s trying to see how strong they are with a machete, I wish they’d try weights or find some exercise gear rather than take it out on the community’s trees.”

Vandals have also removed sections of a wetlands structure that’s designed to prevent rubbish getting into the first of the wetland ponds.

“The structure is called a ‘gross pollutant trap’. It stops rubbish like plastic bottles or other material that’s washed down the creek making it into the pond," Cr Davis said.

"It’s about improving the water quality, and it’s designed so that it doesn’t interfere with the flow of water when there’s minor flooding. It’s another waste of time for staff who have to re-assemble the structure again.”

The weekend attacks have disturbed nearby residents.

One could be seen taking photographs of the damaged trees, as council staff began the clean-up.

While some tree trunks were left next to stumps, others were carried and thrown onto nearby native bushes.

"The Somerset wetlands are one of the few places in Orange where the native swamp hens have been breeding in recent years," Cr Davis said.

"The wetlands have been planted with a range of water-friendly shrubs and rushes, providing cover and breeding habitat for native birds."

The Somerset wetlands are part of Orange’s system of constructed wetlands which includes the Ploughman’s Valley wetlands and the Brooklands wetlands, just east of Burrendong Way.

The Somerset wetlands were opened in 2012 and have since gone on to include a range of passive recreational facilities such as a playground and walking/bike path.

The wetlands supply Orange’s award-winning stormwater harvesting scheme. After water flows slowly through the wetlands ponds, it emerges cleaner and is pumped for further treatment near Orange City Council’s Waste Water Treatment plant.

Council has a policy to offer a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the successful prosecution and conviction of anyone found vandalising public and private property.

STUMPED : Orange City Council Wetlands crew member David Shea is baffled by the latest in a series of machete attacks on trees at the Somerset wetlands, which saw 12 trees cut down.