A Queensland vandal who carved “Jesus Saves” in Mount Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast could face jail

A vandal who grossly defaced the cliff face of a sheltered mountain could face jail time if caught, as authorities are working with locals to find the culprit.

The unidentified person is believed to have used a power tool to chisel “Jesus saves, just ask him” into the base of Mount Beerwah in the Glasshouse Mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on the night of May 20/21.

National park authorities have slammed the “environmental vandalism” that “looks clumsy and awful”.

Once found, the culprit faces a fine of up to $431,250 or up to two years in prison under the Nature Conservation Act and up to $143,750 under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.

The local Indigenous community of Mount Beerwah and the traditional owners, the Jinibara, will actively engage in the restoration of the mountain to minimize any aesthetic damage.

A vandal who crudely carved “Jesus saves, just ask him” on Mount Beerwah faces jail time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if caught

It is believed that the perpetrator used a power tool to deface the protected mountain on the night of May 20-21

A zero-tolerance policy is in place against anyone found to have engraved the message, lead ranger Nat Smith said.

“It’s difficult to understand the mindset of the people who did this and the lack of respect they have for the national park’s natural and cultural values,” Smith said said 7News.

“Regardless of what it says, the graffiti is a horrific act.” It looks clumsy and horrific, and rangers and the community have a zero tolerance policy for such offenses in our national parks.”

In addition to the initial fines for the graffiti itself, those responsible must also reckon with the additional costs of cleaning up the site.

Mr Smith said the carving could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars to remove, on top of any other fines that could be imposed.

The local Indigenous community of Mount Beerwah and the traditional owners, the Jinibara, will actively engage in the restoration of the mountain to minimize any aesthetic damage

Traditional Jinibara owners have previously opposed people climbing Mt Beerwah.

“This vandalism is premeditated and destructive and someone in the community will know who committed it,” Mr Smith said.

“The rock has existed here for millions of years and the level of environmental vandalism in our national parks is extremely disappointing.”