Tree theft riles walkers
Residents blame wood cutters
A TREE theft has left Hobart bushwalkers stumped, after somebody chopped down a large tree in Poimena Reserve and carted away the trunk.
The stumpy remains were discovered by horrified bushwalker Robert HoldernessRoddam, who said it was not the first time he had witnessed such “senseless” ecovandalism.
The 78-year-old natureenthusiast said he suspected it was the work of firewood thieves, which he described as a “big problem” in his neck of the woods.
On one occasion he witnessed a thief in Poimena Reserve, Austins Ferry, cutting down a tree with a chainsaw and making off with its trunk in a four-wheel drive.
“Over the last 30 years I have spent considerable time in Poimena, recording wildlife, dealing with weeds, planting trees and observing the consequences of senseless vandalism,” he said.
“This tree was regularly used by birds as a lookout, either for predators or for food. Species regularly seen included dusky wood swallows, yellow-throated honeyeaters, brown falcons and even endangered grey goshawks.”
Mr Holderness-Roddam, an avid birdwatcher, said there were about 30 species of Tasmanian hole nesting birds which depended on such trees as a habitat.
He said it often took about 200 years for suitably sized holes to develop in trees, making them nigh irreplaceable for the precarious ecosystem.
Mr Holderness-Roddam said he thought the firewood market should be strictly regulated to crack down on the black market trade of stolen trees.
“[There is a] lack of regulation regarding quantities, poor quality timber resulting in excessive amounts of smoke from domestic fires and destruction of important wildlife habitat by illegal firewood collectors,” he said.
“Any individual or organisation offering firewood for sale through any medium, including roadside sales, newspaper advertising, leaflets or electronic media should be registered.”
A Glenorchy City Council spokesman said it did not condone tree thieves, particularly on council-owned land such as Poimena Reserve.
“Council does not tolerate the removal of trees on Council land by members of the public, however there are times when our Arborist team do need to trim or remove trees for safety reasons. We have been fortunate that very few significant trees on our land have been tampered with, although like other councils, we have had instances of infrequent tree/plant damage and theft,” the spokesman said.