THE environment is under siege in parkland at Soldiers Point where it appears even more trees have been vandalised.

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Local residents have reported an additional nine mature casuarinas are dead or dying, with four mature lush lower growing shrubs/trees along with four additional immature casuarinas which all appear to be dead.

This is in addition to a major act of vandalism which impacted over 27 mature trees and a large area of the forests understory, in the same reserve which is being investigated by Council.

The estimated cost to remediate the previously reported vandalism is in the vicinity of $60,000.

A cost which will be borne by local ratepayers.

However while residents fight to save koala habitat at Brandy Hill, it is abhorrent to many that residents are actively destroying koala habitat and corridors, simply to improve their views and outlooks.

Local resident Cherylle Stone told News Of The Area, “I have been observing the trees for a few months hoping they would recover with regular watering from rainfall but they have not.

Cherylle has resided here for over 35 years, and has always highly valued the reserve which is located between her property and the water.

“Yachett Point Reserve is a littoral rainforest its casuarinas provide excellent shelter from the winter westerlies, reduce the incidence of erosion from seaward, and are a haven for a wide variety of fauna, including koalas, possums, sugar gliders, lace monitors, green tree snakes, carpet pythons, blue tongue lizards, skinks, magpies, kookaburras, peewees, willy wagtails, fig birds, several species of honey eaters, noisy miners, spangled drongoes, black and sulphur crested cocktails, wrens, finches, golden whistlers, koels, currawongs, cuckoo shrikes and many different types of insects, including several species of native bees.

“Yes, I am an avid observer of wildlife and have a native fauna friendly native garden,” she said.

The outrage that she and others hold towards the apparent vandalism of the littoral forest has been once again reported to council.

By Marian SAMPSON