In what’s becoming an increasingly strange trend across the country, another wave of Australian suburbs has been hit by a spike in plant theft. The latest flare-up is in Brisbane, where frustrated residents are speaking out after a series of incidents were caught on home security cameras.
This week, a man was caught on CCTV cutting down an entire tree in the inner-city suburb of Fortitude Valley. He is seen dragging it away by the trunk, before making off into the night.
Similarly strange footage from the same suburb shows a woman yanking a dwarf pine from the ground on that very street, then casually hauling it away with the roots and clumps of soil swinging as she drags it down the footpath.
Brisbane homeowner Sandi is routinely targeted. She warned that the issue is getting worse.
“You can’t just be stealing people’s plants and running off with them,” she told 7News.
“It’s not the first time our plants have been stolen. Four others have gone missing.
“So we replaced them, and then they disappeared. They are expensive.”
A woman was recently spotted hauling a dwarf pine, roots and all, down a Fortitude Valley street. Source: 7News
Is plant theft surging in Australia?
The issue appears to be particularly prevalent in Queensland.
Yahoo recently reported on another case in Brisbane, where a woman’s prized lemon tree was snatched from her front yard.
In Cairns, a man was recently caught on camera allegedly stealing a plant from outside a property.
The homeowner shared her rage at watching her bright purple bougainvillea stolen by the stranger after spending years tending to it.
In October, a regional New South Wales council blasted the actions of a “deeply disappointing” individual who stole 29 flowering rose plants from the Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens along the Fraser Coast.
In May, residents in the Adelaide Hills also revealed a plant thief had repeatedly targeted them, with one man branding the act “despicable”.
Campaigns have been launched across the country to track down the culprits, but often the offenders are unable to be identified in grainy CCTV footage.
CCTV has captured the moment a hooded figure made off with numerous plants from an Adelaide man’s garden. Source: 7News
Several theories have emerged over what’s sparking the trend, from reselling to impulse.
But victims say in many cases, it’s simply opportunistic behaviour fuelled by the belief that no one will notice.
Yahoo News has contacted the Queensland Police Service for comment.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Comments are closed.