Vandal who used a power tool to carve ‘Jesus Saves’ into a protected mountain in a senseless act of environmental destruction risks jail if caught
- Mount Beerwah was destroyed
- Somebody Cut ‘Jesus Saves’
- Violator risks fines and imprisonment
A vandal who grossly defaced the rock face of a protected mountain faces jail time if caught, as authorities work with locals to find the culprit.
The unknown person is said to have used a power tool to carve “Jesus saves, just ask him” at the base of Mount Beerwah, in the Glasshouse Mountains in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, on the night of May 20-21.
National Parks authorities have criticized the ‘environmental vandalism’, which ‘looks clumsy and horrific’.
Once found, the offender could be fined up to $431,250 or up to two years in prison under the Nature Conservation Act, and up to $143,750 under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.
The local indigenous community of Mount Beerwah and its traditional owners, the Jinibara, will be actively involved in restoring the mountain to minimize any aesthetic damage.
A vandal who crudely carved “Jesus save, just ask him” into Mount Beerwah faces jail time if caught, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines
It is believed that on the night of May 20 to 21, the perpetrator used power tools to damage the protected mountain
A zero-tolerance approach will be taken against whoever is found to have etched the message, senior ranger Nat Smith said.
“It’s hard 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,” says Smith. told 7News.
“Regardless of what it says, the graffiti is a terrible act. It looks clunky and horrific, and park rangers and the community have a zero-tolerance approach to these types of violations in our national parks.”
In addition to the initial fines for the graffiti itself, whoever is responsible also faces the additional costs of restoring the site.
Mr Smith said removing the carving could cost tens of thousands of dollars in addition to any other fines that could be imposed.
The local indigenous community of Mount Beerwah and its traditional owners, the Jinibara, will be actively involved in restoring the mountain to minimize any aesthetic damage
The traditional owners of Jinibara have previously spoken out against people climbing 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 the environmental vandalism in our national parks is very disappointing.”