Stopping the rot

MULTIPLE allegations of illegal removal of vegetation in Lorne have been made in the past few weeks.

Vegetation in Lorne has been removed in the past by people wishing to cut down or poison trees and plants blocking their views.

Lorne Historical Society vice president Peter Spring said the illegal removal of vegetation had been an ongoing problem in the township.

“It’s been going on for as long as I’ve been in Lorne; people taking opportunities to improve their views if they can.”

Illegal removal of vegetation to improve views in the area has become colloquially known as “Otway Rot”. Mr Spring said locals took a particularly dim view of the crime.

“There is an overriding sentiment in Lorne that one of the unique aspects of Lorne is its tree canopy. People are sensitive to that, it is an important part of Lorne’s ambience.”

Surf Coast Shire council general manager of environment and development Ransce Salan said there could be severe consequences for the illegal removal of vegetation.

“Penalties range widely, starting at $300 for an infringement notice, however, in some significant cases penalties in excess of $160,000 can be applied if found guilty of an offence against the Planning and Environment Act.

“In a recent case, the Geelong Magistrates’ Court fined a person $20,000, as well ordering them to pay council’s legal costs, for illegally clearing native vegetation in the Surf Coast Shire.

“Since the beginning of this year, we have been notified of two instances of vegetation removal. One resulted in a $300 penalty infringement being issued. The other has been referred to Victoria Police for investigation regarding criminal damage, which carries a more significant penalty under the Crimes Act.”

The council and police have difficulty catching perpetrators of Otway Rot in Lorne, as much of the population only lives in the town on a part-time basis.

However, Mr Salan said the council had measures in place to stop the illegal removal of vegetation.

“Our rangers proactively patrol the shire and investigate any reported instances of vegetation removal on Council land. Council also has a team dedicated to following up on non-compliance issues with the Surf Coast Shire planning scheme and native vegetation controls.”

People can report illegal removal of vegetation to council by heading to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/request or phoning 5261 0600.