A nursery in Gunnedah has been at the centre of a number of repeat offences from someone who apparently knows their plants.
Mrs Haths’ Forest Nursery is owned by Rebecca and Ben Gilbert, who say they have had four or more repeat visits from a thief in a silver hatchback who has targeted specific plants.
The first break-in occurred in late September this year, one of a rash of retail thefts in Gunnedah over the past two years.
“They only stole indoor plants that were not for sale,” Mrs Gilbert said. “They cleaned the [greenhouse] igloo out.
“They took ‘mother’ plants that we use for cuttings, including some of my Mum’s plants that were 20 years old. They weren’t of any great monetary value.”
Mrs Gilbert said ‘mother’ plants were not easy to replace, and held significant sentimental value as an ongoing reminder of Mrs Gilbert’s mother Janet Hathway, who started the nursery. “Mrs Hath” as she was known, died in 2020.
At the time of the first theft, Mrs Gilbert posted a caution to the thief on Facebook.
“To the ‘rare plant enthusiast’ who helped themselves to my igloo, taking indoor plants only (plus some of my late mother’s plants), a couple of them were toxic. I’m not going to tell you which ones, but I hope your skin is itchy and your eyes hurt,” she wrote.
Security camera footage showed a man loading plants haphazardly into a small silver hatchback vehicle.
Not deterred by the warning, Mrs Gilbert noticed pots had been moved in the nursery a few weeks ago, and discovered a thief had been coming and going over a number of nights.
Footprints and handprints showed someone appeared to have been climbing over the fence.
Surrounding properties on Mullaley Road have also been targeted, with vehicles stolen from commercial premises.
Mrs Gilbert said she arrived at the business one weekday morning to find signs of a break-in.
“I thought, you’ve got to be kidding,” she said. “I was wondering if they were still here. If it comes to fight or flight, I’m a fighter, so I had a look around.”
She rang Gunnedah Police and the call was automatically put through to Tamworth Police where it went unanswered.
Gunnedah does not have 24-hour policing despite vocal concerns from the community, service groups and Gunnedah Shire Council.
The latest quarterly NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures, released in September this year, show the trends in major crime categories in the 10 years to June 2024 included a 30.7% increase in the charge of “steal from retail store” across the state.
In the local government area of Gunnedah, BOCSAR statistics show Gunnedah Shire witnessed a 63% increase in “steal from retail store” in the two years to June 2024.
Other offences that significantly increased in Gunnedah Shire over that time were breach apprehended violence order (60.9%), breach bail conditions (57.6%) and intimidation, stalking and harassment (50%).
Gunnedah Shire Council has called for 24-hour policing in the Shire through a submission to the NSW Government’s Inquiry into Community Safety in Regional and Rural Communities.
The call for better resourcing and 24-hour policing in more regional and rural areas of New South Wales has also been taken up by the Country Mayor’s Association of New South Wales, the Police Association of NSW, the Country Women’s Association and NSW Farmers.
In the meantime, Mrs Gilbert said the business has increased security with more cameras and innovative additions to fencing – including strategic placement of barbed wire garden ornaments to deter climbers.
Top image: Rebecca Gilbert from Mrs Haths’ Forest Nursery in Gunnedah has had repeat visits from plant thieves. (Marie Low)
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