Frustrated resident pleads for advice after neighbor's repeated illegal actions: 'Does the fine increase over time?'

One concerned resident, after witnessing their neighbor's malevolent upheaval of a few young, native trees in the neighborhood, asked the Australian legal community about the consequences of illegal tree removal.

The OP described the offender as a developer who "[moves] from one place to another, knocking down and rebuilding." Unfortunately, the developer "bought a place attached to a wildlife corridor and decided to remove a bunch of trees illegally so he can knock down and rebuild again."

According to the OP's comments, the council issued the developer a fine. However, the OP worried that the fine would not be enough to keep the wrongdoer from moving to another council and repeating the same destructive actions.

"If he keeps this sort of activity up, does the fine increase over time as a repeat offender, or does he maybe avoid that by going from council to council?" the OP asked.

While commenters did not provide any insight on how a council might hold the developer accountable for future projects, they did offer a fine range of $30,000 to over $100,000. The latter figure resulted from the removal of trees that didn't belong to the property owner and were protected trees at that.

Illegal tree removal incidents — including illegal deforestation — have been occurring throughout Australia. Some offenders illegally cut down century-old red gum trees for firewood. Another resident was fined for illegally clearing 0.35 hectares (about 8 acres) of native vegetation on national park land.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Trees, especially those on protected wildlife lands, provide habitats for wildlife. Illegal tree removal leads to habitat loss, forcing wildlife such as koalas to find new homes, which could lead to biodiversity loss. Trees also help absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide — a heat-trapping gas that contributes to rising global temperatures — which gets rereleased into the atmosphere when the trees are cut.

Regulations surrounding tree removal exist to protect humans, wildlife, and the planet.

"If he keeps doing it, the fines will just continue. But it could result in him not getting any approvals for his development projects. The council may also take action against him for constantly breaking the law," one Reddit commenter said.

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?

Yes 💯