Tasman District Council is asking two things of residents and visitors as they look to reduce the level of damage to its parks and reserves.  

If you feel the need to damage property - take a breath, it's not yours. If you see damaged property – let us know. 

We have recently had nine Himalayan Oak trees in Hoddy Estuary Park ring-barked, which appears to have been carried out with the intention of killing them, as well as two further trees being cut down in a separate area of the reserve.

The Himalayan Oaks are a particularly sad loss, given they were planted by the community back when the park was first opened, and they had been developing into beautiful trees.  

The loss of more than 15 years’ worth of growth affects the overall beauty of the reserve and is disheartening for those who have given their time and energy over this period. 

Unfortunately, this is an example of a wider trend that we are observing across the district, where members of the public are damaging exotic species in our green spaces  

In the last two weeks, Reserves Staff and contractors have also had to deal with numerous incidents of theft and vandalism at other spaces – including Washbourn Gardens, White Gate Reserve and Wakefield. 

This wilful damage requires significant investment of time and money for repair or replacement and negatively affects how we manage these spaces. 

These actions are illegal and could result in prosecution by the police if the culprits are identified. 

If the culprits had an issue with the trees or facilities, a conversation with the council would have prevented it reaching this costly and unnecessary stage. 

Instead, this takes up thousands of dollars and many staff and contractor hours that should be spent on projects and items that will enhance, rather than destroying  community  facilities. 

We are frustrated and extremely disappointed that people have taken it upon themselves to cause damage in various forms - there is nothing accidental or naive about these actions and the actions of a few with obvious issues ruin the opportunity for everyone else to use and enjoy these spaces.

Please contact Tasman District Council on 03 543 8400 to report any damage or provide any information that could help us identify those responsible and reduce the incidence of vandalism taking place.