Willoughby City Council Mayor Tanya Taylor has called on the NSW State Government to address inadequate enforcement tools and barriers to effective action on tree vandalism, following the conclusion of its investigation into one of the largest tree vandalism events in the Local Government Area's history.
Despite extensive efforts by Council, the investigation into the deliberate destruction of 256 trees in H.D. Robb Reserve, Castle Cove, has resulted in insufficient information to prosecute those responsible.
An iconic 21-metre Sydney angophora that had stood for over 80 years was among the trees cleared at the site—an act of destruction that Mayor Taylor says is "simply heartless in its disregard for our cherished flora and fauna".
Mayor Taylor expressed her views on the matter of tree vandalism in a meeting with NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, Minister for Climate Change & Energy, Penny Sharpe, Member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale, Mayor of Lane Cove, Merri Southwood and Mayor of Hunters Hill, Zac Miles, where she presented three key points and seven recommendations from Council.
The findings were accompanied by a presentation of the various strategies that have been undertaken by Council in combatting tree vandalism, including education, additional staff to oversee compliance and a Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (NSROC) working group to consider regulatory framework, data sharing, enforcement, training, other forms of support and developing an action plan including advocacy aimed at all stakeholders.
"This case was unprecedented in its scale and will go down in Willougby's history as a low point for our community," Mayor Taylor said. "Council's officers have worked tirelessly to identify those responsible, however we've been unable to unearth the necessary evidence that might lead to the prosecution of those behind this act."
This incident, though the largest in scale, is not an isolated occurrence in the Willoughby Local Government Area and surrounds, with a spate of similarly large incidents plaguing the Sydney's North Shore in recent years and propelling an increased number of tree vandalism cases in total.
"The outcome of our case at Castle Cove is testament to how this issue impacts most local Councils," said Mayor Taylor. "We simply need more support in our efforts to investigate tree vandalism to ensure that this doesn't become an even larger issue.
"While Councils are fighting tooth and nail to balance our obligations to meet housing requirements as well as initiatives like the NSW State Government's urban tree canopy targets, tree vandalism significantly hampers our efforts to balance tree cover with population growth and burdens Council officers who should be spending their time serving our community, not chasing a handful of irresponsible people.
"The NSW Government urgently needs to examine how it supports Local Government to combat tree vandalism and the opportunities and resources it has available to do so."
Information is crucial to our investigations and identifying those responsible for tree vandalism. If you witness tree vandalism or have any information
