Brad's beef about bushes

BRAD Keyworth and Cherie Rutherford are opposing each other in the council elections, but they both have a beef with the recent removal of old bougainvillea plants in Victoria Park.

Mr Keyworth believes the plants had been growing in Victoria Park for over 100 years, and he was outraged to hear they had been removed to make way for the construction of facilities for Beef Australia 2012.

"It is a lack of respect to our heritage," Mr Keyworth said.

"They have not only cut them out, they have had the stumps ground."

Mr Keyworth believes the people responsible for cutting down the bougainvillea should be prosecuted.

"If I am part of the new council, I will be pursuing it," Mr Keyworth said.

"The showgrounds are owned by the community, and it is a snub up at the community," he said.

A Division 5 candidate for the upcoming Rockhampton Regional Council election, Mr Keyworth said the plants were of significant importance, as they were part of the original gene pool of bougainvillea, and not a hybrid plant.

Councillor Cherie Rutherford inspected the site yesterday and saw not only the site of the removed bougainvilleas, but discovered where about 50 metres of other plants had been removed from within the showgrounds site.

"I am absolutely ropeable," Cr Rutherford said.

"I acknowledge the outstanding contribution that Beef (Beef Australia 2012) makes, but it doesn't give them a right to cut down trees."

Roger Desailly, Beef Australia 2012 CEO, said a contractor working at the site had misunderstood one of the conditions set by the council for the erection of the stud cattle pavilions and in the process of removing and trimming a number of trees and shrubs had gone beyond the agreed level of work.