Vandal cuts native trees down in Coburg Melbourne community park breaking residents’ hearts

A group of 21 native trees have been hacked down soon after they had been planted with the shocking vandalism bringing residents to the point of tears. 

The ‘senseless’ act caused anger and heartbreak among the Coburg community in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with enraged residents calling out the ‘lowlife scumbags’ responsible.

Images of the trees showed them lopped off at the stumps and lying on the ground in a park adjacent to the Coburg train station. 

The trees were planted as part of an expensive and large-scale revamp to the area connected to the Victorian government’s Level Crossing Removal Project.

Local resident Luke said his wife was ‘nearly in tears’ when the family saw the trees slashed to the ground. 

Local resident Luke said his wife was ‘nearly in tears’ when the family saw the trees slashed to the ground

‘I am incredibly sad and very angry about it. It was pretty heartbreaking to see my young child trying to reattach the trees to their stumps,’ he told Yahoo News Australia. 

Luke said fellow residents were scratching their heads over why someone would chop the trees down. 

‘It is such a bizarre act and it must have taken a degree of premeditation due to the multiple tools involved, not to mention the physical effort of cutting down so many trees in the middle of the night even if they were all relatively young,’ he said. 

It is understood the state government project responsible for planting the trees – designed to increase canopy cover in the area – will get them replaced. 

The Andrews’ government’s signature plan of ripping out 110 level crossings across the city involved lifting the Coburg rail tracks and the station above ground. 

But Luke said he didn’t think a resident being resentful over the redevelopment was the reason behind the attack.

Mayor of Merri-bek, Councillor Angelica Panopoulos, said council would work with state authorities to find out how the incident occurred. 

‘I was really disappointed to learn that a number of trees have been snapped in the parklands surrounding Coburg Station. We value building up our canopy cover and urban forest in Merri-bek, and so this is incredibly frustrating,’ Cr Panopoulos said. 

‘I am incredibly sad and very angry about it. It was pretty heartbreaking to see my young child trying to reattach the trees to their stumps,’ one local said

The trees (pictured, after the visit by a vandal) were planted as part of an expensive and large-scale revamp to the area connected to the Victorian government’s Level Crossing Removal Project 

Meanwhile, residents took to social media to vent their frustration over the vandalism. 

‘I just can’t believe people would do this. Lowlife scumbags,’ one said, while another called the culprit an ‘axe murderer’.

‘They were young eucalyptus trees. All natives. I’m guessing it’s just senseless vandalism. Some people just need a gum tree branch upside the head unfortunately,’ a third wrote.

‘I wish the people that did this would make like a tree and leave,’ joked another.