Local Communities Outraged in Sydney
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, with a bustling population of over 5 million people spread across densely packed urban areas. The city lies on the banks of the beautiful Rushcutters Bay, which gives homeowners a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean.
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Unfortunately, the desire for a clear view of the water has resulted in a highly controversial practice. Many wealthy homeowners have been accused of cutting down hundreds of trees in recent years simply to give themselves a better view of the ocean.
Epidemic of Tree Vandalism
What’s being viewed as an “epidemic of tree vandalism” was first reported by the BBC. These incidents have occurred in many of the city’s greenest and wealthiest suburbs, leaving many of the city’s residents, who are attached to its bushland, outraged.
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“Hundreds of trees have been ruthlessly cut down, drilled and laced with poison, or stripped bare – conveniently exposing the kind of harbor views that drastically increase property values,” reports the BBC.
Breaking the Law
Throughout Australia, local governments establish and uphold laws that prohibit the clearing of trees on private property without first contacting the authorities.
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But last year alone, Sydney councils revealed a shocking increase in “tree vandalism,” according to the BBC. According to the city’s government, over 1,000 reports of trees being cut down or damaged were recorded in 2023, most of which took place on public land.
Mass Clearing in Castle Cove
The worst incident occurred in Castle Cove, a suburb about 6 miles from the heart of Sydney. Last summer, residents heard a chainsaw hard at work on a swath of land wedged between million-dollar homes and the shoreline.
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While the walkers immediately reported it to the authorities, it was weeks before the council made it to the site. When they finally did, they discovered the carnage that had ensued: over 265 trees were cut down, and the landscape was cleared of native plants.
Tree Vandals Go to Extreme Lengths
The number of trees cut down at the site in Castle Cove is equivalent to 14 tennis courts. Many were cut down or pierced with a drill before being injected with poison.
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The culprits used so many chemicals that the local council initially feared that the toxicity might run off into the harbor and begin negatively affecting marine life. Naturally, the entire community and wider Sydney area were outraged.
Sydney's Selfish and Greedy Residents
The vandalism of trees at Castle Cove has garnered widespread media attention. “It’s selfishness and greed; there’s no other way to describe it,” said John Moratelli, who runs an environmental protection group.
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A Sydney resident who drove from the other side of the harbor to witness the damage said, “I thought, ‘That can’t possibly be right.’” He continued, “It was astounding. They’d really done a number on it.”
The City’s Mayor Speaks on Tree Vandalism
Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor was equally devastated when she heard of the news, which left her “gobsmacked.”
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“It was actually, ironically enough, around National Tree Day that I found out,” said the Mayor as she gazed at the bushland, which is still scorched brown nine months later.
An Unquantifiable Loss
During an interview, Taylor acknowledged the unquantifiable loss of trees in the area, claiming that the city’s surrounding natural environment is “invaluable.”
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As the mayor directed people’s attention to an iconic Sydney red gum, she said, “That tree down in front of us here, it’s 100 years old, 20m (65ft) high. You cannot replace that. That’s generations worth of growth.”
300 More Trees Felled in Sydney
The Castle Cove incident is just one in a long list of similar events that have occurred in the Sydney area in recent years. A few months later, a report led authorities to Longueville, just a few peninsulas away, where almost 300 trees had been felled.
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At Iron Cove, mangroves have been ripped from the banks. Again, it appears the trees were cut down by harborfront homeowners who desired a clearer view of the water. Canada Bay Mayor Michael Megna cites view-hungry vandals as the source of the problem.
A Sense of Entitlement
Sydney councilors were questioned on how residents could up and destroy hundreds of native trees and plants, to which they replied, “We should call a spade a spade. It’s an increased sense of personal entitlement.”
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They continued, “That sense that ‘I have paid for this view’. Rather than ‘I have paid for this house’.”
Difficult to Build a Case
New South Wales can issue fines of up to $2,000 for individuals convicted of cutting down trees. While local governments admit it’s easy to find the culprit, it can be difficult to force them to pay, whereas others take the fine and pay with ease.
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“People are paying between A$3m and A$8m for some of these houses – maybe more,” say the authorities. They continued, “Paying some turkey A$10,000 to cut down a few trees is nothing, and paying the council a fine is probably nothing as well.”