By JESSE GRAHAM
Town determined to battle on to beat vandals…
THE hunt is on for vandals who welcomed in the new year by hacking branches off new trees which were planted in Millgrove to welcome visitors to the town.
The trees were planted to replace others that were stolen last year and comes after graffiti attacks on the town’s public toilets.
However Millgrove Residents Action Group (MRAG) members say they will not give up on their efforts to improve the town.
MRAG president Maureen Halit noticed the damaged trees on New Year’s Eve, with branches severed and discarded near the three Canadian red maple trees.
Ms Halit said she didn’t understand why community members would vandalise the three trees, which were recently planted to replace three others stolen last year.
“We put in a fair bit of hard work – you have to take pride in your community – and it hurts a bit,” she said.
Ms Halit said that one redeeming factor was that, save another vandalism attack, the trees would survive and grow on.
She said that MRAG was acquiring deer fencing to help deter would-be vandals and the group said on its Facebook page that it would not be giving up on the area.
The group asked members of the community to help in identifying the vandals and to report suspicious activity to police.
MRAG member Bob Lillie told the Mail he thought the two attacks on the trees, which haven’t been proved as being related, were dispiriting.
“It’s quite strange – the branches were just left there,” he said.
“It looks like it was done with secateurs.”
Mr Lillie said the damage to the trees seems to point to a wider problem in Millgrove and that there had been a number of issues with graffiti in the local toilets last year.
“The difficult thing is that we put in a bit of work to keep the place looking good, and most people appreciate it – it’s just one or two who disregard it,” he said.
A number of residents commented on Facebook when the news was posted earlier this month.
Labor candidate for Eildon and Upper Yarra resident Sally Brennan commented that, despite the disheartening and disappointing behaviour of some, the group was continuing to improve the town.
“MRAG has made a huge difference to Millgrove, how people think of it and how it thinks of itself. I think you people are wonderful. This just shows that your work is not done yet,” she wrote.
Warburton police were contacted to comment, but were unavailable to respond before deadline.
For more information, search for Millgrove Residents Action Group on Facebook or visit www.facebook.com/MailNewspaperGroup for a link.
Any suspicious behaviour or information can be passed on to Warburton police by calling 5966 2006.
