Residents blasted for 'selfish' act outside beachside units
- Native trees damaged
- The trees are located near a beach
- READ MORE: Native trees hacked down in senseless act
Locals who allegedly damaged iconic trees along a beachside thoroughfare to keep their ocean views have been slammed over the selfish act.
Almost a dozen Norfolk Pine trees along The Grand Parade at Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney's south were vandalised over the past few months.
Bayside Council has been forced to paint the word 'poisoned' on the trunks of the trees to indicate which ones have been destroyed.
Dozens of the native Australian tree species are situated along the suburb's foreshore.
The council was first made aware of tree vandalism at the promenade in March.
Staff have been cracking down on the act by accessing CCTV footage from nearby properties in a bid to find the alleged culprits.
Tree vandalism has surged in the area with 139 trees on council-administered land targeted by the alleged offenders.
To curb the disturbing trend, Mayor Bill Saravinovski said two new trees will be planted for each one that is damaged.
Almost a dozen Norfolk Pine trees (pictured) along The Grand Parade at Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney's south were vandalised over the past few months
'It is always sad to see cases like this. But Council takes a strong stand against tree vandalism and will be doing all we can to find who was responsible. Council also has a policy of replacing any destroyed tree with two more,' he said.
A council spokesperson said damage is being investigated.
'Council continues to monitor the trees. Poisoned trees that will not recover are not necessarily removed. They could be pruned so they continue to provide habitat for local wildlife,' the spokesperson told Yahoo.
It is not yet known if the trees will be removed.
Mr Saravinovski ordered shipping containers to be put up near the foreshore of Brighton-Le-Sands beach in 2021.
The drastic measure was taken after several trees were illegally cut down using a chainsaw.
Mr Saravinovski ordered shipping containers (pictured) to be put up in 2021 near the foreshore of Brighton-Le-Sands beach after several trees were illegally cut down
Residents took to social media to express their outrage at the damage inflicted on the trees.
'It takes generations of Australians to let a tree grow but only takes one to poison it. All because they want bay views,' one person wrote.
Tree vandalism is illegal under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Individuals who illegally remove trees in NSW will be hit with a fine worth more than than a million dollars.
Corporations who commit the same offence will be hit with fines of up to $5milion.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Bayside Council for further comment.
Penalties for tree vandalism in Australia
NSW
Individuals found guilty of illegally removing a tree will face a maximum fine of $1.1million if convicted in the NSW Land and Environment Court.
A criminal record will also be registered.
Corporations found guilty of the offence can be fined up to $5million.
Councils across the state can issue on-the-spot fines worth up to $3,000 to individuals and $6,000 to corporations.
Victoria
The offence carries a fine of up to $168,000 for individuals and a $840,000 penalty for corporations across the state.
Councils can issue fines of up to $2,000 and a conviction will be recorded.
Queensland
Illegal tree clearing is an offence in the Sunshine State.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, a person who deliberately and unlawfully causes serious harm to the environment, faces a maximum fine of $856,250 and will be jailed for five years.
South Australia
Damaging, pruning, or removing a tree without council permission can incur a fine of up to $5,000 and a criminal conviction will be recorded.
Fines of up to $120,000 could apply if a person undertakes work on a regulated and protected tree without authorisation.
Western Australia
The offence carries a maximum penalty of $500.
Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory
There are no specific penalties in place, however there are several tree protection regulations across the state and territories.
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