One thing I have already noticed in Australia is the respect for nature – even in the middle of a major city. A striking example is the fight against tree vandalism in and around Sydney. From time to time, property owners illegally cut down, prune or poison trees on public land in order to improve the view from their homes.
The response from local councils can be uncompromising: substantial fines or prosecution, requirements to replant – and a rather unusual form of public shaming. In some places, councils put up large signs or banners exactly where the trees have been damaged or destroyed. The signs explain that the site has been subjected to tree vandalism while, quite deliberately, blocking the very view the property owner was trying to gain. No one in the neighbourhood is left wondering why the enormous sign is there. It is public shaming with a very clear purpose: to make sure others think twice before doing the same.
I like the principle behind it: no one should be able to destroy the natural environment we share simply for their own benefit.
Even trees on private property can be strictly protected if they are considered significant or worthy of preservation. Several of the trees on our property are protected by local regulations, which means we need council approval before they can be significantly pruned. It may seem strict, but I rather like the idea that owning the land does not necessarily mean you have an unrestricted right to remove the nature growing on it.
