Vandal who used a power tool to carve ‘Jesus saves’ into a protected mountain in senseless act of environmental destruction could face jail if caught
- Mount Beerwah was vandalised
- Someone carved ‘Jesus saves’
- Offender is facing fines and jail time
A vandal who crudely defaced the rock face of a protected mountain could be looking at jail time if caught, as authorities work with locals to find the culprit.
The unknown person is believed to have used a power tool to carve ‘Jesus saves, just ask him’ into the base of Mount Beerwah, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland’s Glasshouse Mountains, on the night of May 20 or 21.
National Parks authorities have slammed the ‘environmental vandalism’, which ‘looks clumsy and awful’.
Once found, the culprit could face a fine of up to $431,250 or up to two years in jail under the Nature Conservation Act, and up to $143,750 under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.
Mount Beerwah’s local Indigenous community and traditional owners, the Jinibara, will be actively engaged in restoring the mountain in order to minimise any aesthetic damage.
A vandal who crudely carved ‘Jesus saves just ask him’ into Mount Beerwah could face jail time if caught, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines
It is believed the culprit used a power tool on the night of May 20 or 21 to deface the protected mountain
A zero-tolerance approach will be taken against whoever is found to have etched the message, said senior ranger Nat Smith.
‘It is difficult to understand the mindset of the people who did this and the lack of respect they have for the natural and cultural values of the national park,’ Mr Smith told 7News.
‘Regardless of what it says, the graffiti is a terrible act. It looks clumsy and awful, and rangers and the community take a zero-tolerance approach to offences like this in our national parks.’
As well as the initial fines for the graffiti itself, whoever is responsible for it also faces the additional costs of restoring the site.
Mr Smith said that removing the carving could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars on top of any other fines that could be issued.
Mount Beerwah’s local Indigenous community and traditional owners, the Jinibara, will be actively engaged in restoring the mountain in order to minimise any aesthetic damage
The Jinibara traditional owners have previously expressed opposition to people climbing on Mt Beerwah.
‘This vandalism is deliberate and destructive, and someone in the community will know who did it,’ Mr Smith said.
‘The rock has been here for millions of years, and environmental vandalism in our national parks is extremely disappointing.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk