Council parks and garden staff believe vegetation in Bowra Street is dying as a result of poisoning.

With plants beginning to obviously die off, staff estimate they were poisoned up to a month ago.

The plants, ranging from well established trees up to three metres high to smaller shrubs, were planted to provide shade and to give a softening effect to the streetscape.

Mayor Rhonda Hoban is adamant the plants are not dying because of poor maintenance. An early indicator of water stress was the death of young, fresh growth.

However a telltale sign of poisoning was the death of the more established greenery.

Cr Hoban said council staff had identified a clear trail of spilt poison along the footpath, possibly glyphosate.

“If it was a systemic poisoning, like Roundup, it takes about two weeks (for signs of poisoning to become visible),” Cr Hoban said.

“Larger trees take a bit longer for the signs of poisoning (to appear).

“This is all very suspicious.”

Before the trees were planted and the streetscape plan was put into place, council undertook a survey asking for comments from members of the public and business operators.

One of the most common requests was for shade, Cr Hoban said.

Cr Hoban viewed this incident as a waste of ratepayer money. Not only would council (and ratepayers) be forced to fund the replacement of the trees, but also the labour costs.

“Our staff are flat-out now and will be for the next 12 months.

“They are still working through flood damage.

“And, now we are coming into the tourist season; it is not a good look.”

Every year vandalism throughout the shire costs council more than $40,000 in repairs and replacements.

“That amount of money does a lot of kerb and guttering or repairs to council bridges.”

She said council staff found this sort of act ‘frustrating’ and time wasting.