Castle Cove tree massacre: 256 trees gone, no witnesses

It’s an act of arboreal villainy so preposterous you can scarcely believe it’s true.

And yet, more than 18 months after the last of 256 trees in Castle Cove were illegally chopped down, and their stumps poisoned, Willoughby Council has thrown its hands up in the air.

The tree killers appear to have won.

Trees that have the audacity to block a water view have been the subject of vandals for decades in Australia. Get rid of the trees and - voila! - add 20 per cent to the value of the property over the road.

Over time, some people have faced the long arm of the law for their vandalism, but many more have gotten away with it. In response, some councils have engaged in tit for tat by erecting screens to block the water view.

What happened?

Between January and June 2023, 256 trees - including an 80-year-old Sydney angophora, which stood 21 metres tall - were vandalised in H.D. Robb Reserve in Castle Cove.

So, who was responsible? And how did they manage to spend nearly half a year lopping and killing hundreds of trees with a chainsaw and, um … nobody saw anything? Nobody heard anything? Nobody said anything? All the CCTV was down?

Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor issued a statement this week regarding the vandalism, and the news wasn’t good.

“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,” she said.

The mayor described the vandalism as “unprecedented in its scale” and said it “will go down in Willoughby’s history as a low point for our community”.

Report “lost internally”

The H. D. Robb reserve is the habitat of animals such as lyrebirds, bandicoots, goannas and wallabies. The wildlife corridor in the reserve is expected to regrow eventually, however, as tree stumps were poisoned after their illegal removal, tree habitats are now compromised for endangered and vulnerable species like the powerful owl.

According to Councillor John Moratelli, the destruction went unreported by people living in properties near the reserve, and was ultimately spotted by a bushwalker.

A report about the bushwalker’s comments was “lost internally” by the council, Moratelli - a retired lawyer and President of the Willoughby Environmental Protection Association - told The North Shore Lorikeet.

“It’s hard to believe no one noticed,” the councillor said.

He has visited the site and observed that chainsaws were used, along with drills to make the holes for the poison.

Given battery-operated chainsaws are much quieter, he said, they may not have been heard by nearby residents.

Arboriculture specialist Gregory Moore told SBS News late last year that the culprit or culprits behind tree destruction, which has increased in the last few years, is often a "homeowner who wants to improve the view from their property to increase its value”.

The North Shore Lorikeet is not suggesting any residents were directly involved in this particular matter.

Reward offered

The council put up a reward for $10,000 for anyone with information that led to a successful prosecution.

It also placed numerous banners in the area encouraging anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to come forward.

“Simply heartless”

Willoughby City Mayor Tanya Taylor called it “simply heartless” and urged the NSW government to help councils strengthen enforcement measures and better support councils in tackling tree vandalism: “We simply need more support in our efforts to investigate tree vandalism to ensure that this doesn’t become an even larger issue.”

Councillor Moratelli said it was a shame police refused to investigate, and said what occurred was "malicious damage to public property just as much as smashing up a bus shelter …"

NSW Police told the Lorikeet it had been made aware of the tree damage by Willoughby Council.

“Officers from North Shore PAC will work with the council; however, the council is leading inquiries."

If you witness tree vandalism in the Willoughby LGA, or have any information, contact Willoughby Council on 02 9777 1000 or email [email protected].