SYDNEY
\nA community in an affluent part of Sydney\u2019s north shore is searching for vandals who destroyed 265 trees with poison, drills and chainsaws in what the council suspects was an attempt to get better ocean views.
\nWilloughby council has offered a $10,000 reward for information and is knocking on doors as it attempts to track down those responsible for killing the trees at a waterfront reserve on Willowie Road in Castle Cove.
\nThe mature trees that were destroyed include banksias, cheese trees and Sydney red gums or angophora one was between 80 and 100 years old. Some trees had poison poured into holes that had been drilled into their trunks and others were hacked with chainsaws. \u201cIt\u2019s really sad. I was in tears when I found out about this. It\u2019s dreadful,\u201d the Willoughby mayor, Tanya Taylor, said on Wednesday.
\n\u201cThe community is really upset, really disappointed. It beggars belief. It\u2019s not something you think in this day and age that people would do, but there is a sense of entitlement out there.\u201d
\nTaylor said the council had been alerted to the destruction of the trees in July. She said the council rather than the police was leading the investigation, but she wanted to see whoever was responsible charged with criminal offences. \u201cI would like to see them prosecuted. This is not acceptable. We won\u2019t tolerate this kind of action for a selfish return,\u201d she said.
\nThe council has erected large banners and a mobile billboard near the reserve to encourage anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious to come forward.
\nA spokesperson for the New South Wales police said Willoughby council had advised the force of the incident. \u201cOfficers from north shore [police area command] will work with the council. However, the council is leading inquiries,\u201d they said.
\nThe Willoughby Environmental Protection Association president, John Moratelli, said \u201cbasically every tree\u201d in an area of land equivalent to 14 tennis courts had been destroyed in what he said was an act of \u201cbreathtaking selfishness\u201d.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s very distressing people treasure the beautiful plants and animals of the area,\u201d said Moratelli, who is also an independent councillor on the council. \u201cThere has been a history in Sydney of trees which obscure views being poisoned. In my opinion it\u2019s hard to explain it in any other way.\u201d
\nThe council has also raised concerns about the potential for the poison used to kill the trees leaching into the soil and harming burrowing animals such as bandicoots and echidnas as well as marine life in Middle Harbour.
\nWhen contacted for comment, the planning minister, Paul Scully, said: \u201cIf there are allegations of vandalism, this matter should be referred to the police.\u201d
\nThe state\u2019s land and environment court can impose fines of up to $1.1m on individuals who are prosecuted for illegally removing trees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY A community in an affluent part of Sydney\u2019s north shore is searching for vandals who destroyed 265 trees with poison, drills and chainsaws in what the council suspects was an attempt to get better ocean views. Willoughby council has offered a $10,000 reward for information and is knocking on doors as it attempts to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-352765","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n