[Doug]

If the will and finance is there then it should be a simple excise to make safe and repair the monument. At the end of the day this is local heritage and if we can’t work together and act to resolve the issue then the future as little to offer.

Vandals will always work against the work of others, the best way to control them if not stop them is inclusion, get them involved, community punishments, school projects, special interest grounds. Get them young, get them involved, make them stakeholders in there own communities and I thing many of them will police the site for the community freeing up money for anti vandal treatments etc.

The tress shouldn’t be much of a problem, being shallow rooted they should come out easy enough but think positive, this may be low quality timber, but it’s timber and it as a value, the quality wood can be sold on to fund replanting, the lesser quality stuff can the used to make seating products, low level fencing are be chipped to make pathways or be sold on as composted bark. In essence it all as a value and a part to play the areas future, all it takes will and a little money.

What a about a community volunteer force in the vain of the challenge Anika, local and regional business, trade professionals and local the population working across a couple of months next summer.