For weeks, I’ve been hearing whispers of a scandal in Sydney’s most elite enclaves.
No, Kristin Fisher and Dina Broadhurst haven’t fallen out again.
And no, there aren’t any angry husbands coming after playboy publican Stu Laundy.
This eastern suburbs brouhaha is instead about the council’s ruthless tree-removal campaign that has left well-heeled residents of Rose Bay and Woollahra fuming.
While my DMs are usually flooded with tawdry tales of feuds and affairs, I couldn’t ignore the growing chorus of complaints about this particular matter.
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A ruthless tree-removal campaign has left residents of Rose Bay and Woollahra fuming, writes Daily Mail senior reporter Lucy Manly
Balfour Road was once lined with beautiful, towering trees with branches that created a shady canopy overhead. Now it almost looks dystopian
The street used to look a lot more pleasant before arborists took chainsaws to the trees
London plane trees provide shade and colour in many suburbs, but they can be problematic
You see, the towering trees that once defined these charming neighbourhoods are disappearing, branch by branch – and it’s not just a case of NIMBY-ism.
The culling began late last year on Balfour Road and continued in June along Plumer Road in Rose Bay, just a stone’s throw away from a café precinct.
As chatter swirled about the ‘fugly trees’ dragging down property prices, I walked the streets with my dachshund Licky to find out what the aggrieved locals had to say.
‘It’s absolutely disgraceful,’ Celeste, a resident of 10 years, tells me.
‘These trees have been here longer than most of the people living on this street.
‘They’re part of the character of Rose Bay, and now they’re just hacking them down like weeds.
‘The council claimed they did a letter drop, but we never received one, nor did any of our neighbours.’
Many homeowners in Rose Bay – where the median house price is $5.3million and the average unit costs $1.6million – say they were attracted to the suburb for its tree-lined streets and leafy charm.
The quaint café precinct on Plumer Road is a stone’s throw from the lopped London plane trees
The street was once shaded by majestic trees arching overhead. Now, jagged stumps stand where full branches once formed a leafy canopy.
‘They lop the trees, then wonder why the cockatoos vanish,’ disgruntled Balfour Road resident Charles tells me.
‘You can’t just destroy their homes and expect them to stick around. Frankly, it’s vandalism in disguise. Who approved this madness?’
London plane trees lend shade and vibrancy to many Australian suburbs, but have recently come under fire for health concerns, not to mention the havoc their roots wreak on infrastructure.
This week, the chainsaws moved to Ocean Street in Woollahra – and so did the outrage.
Residents were stunned last month when official notices appeared on trunks, announcing plans to prune or remove these leafy fixtures, many of which have sheltered the street for generations.
‘To ensure safety, essential pruning will be performed on three London plane trees on Ocean Street (western side), due to disease-causing branch decay,’ read one council notice.
But concerned residents and tree experts remain unconvinced, arguing the council has failed to meet industry standards, offering neither sufficient community consultation nor transparent expert assessments.
On nearby Plumer Road, more butchered London plane trees can be seen
A sign pinned to a trunk on Ocean Street in Woollahra advertises the proposed tree-lopping
After Rose Bay, chainsaws moved to Ocean Street in Woollahra – and so did the outrage
Lucy and her dog Licky hit the streets of Rose Bay to find out what the locals had to say about the tree-culling
‘The [lopping] work was unnecessary and will likely lead to their complete removal,’ says Bondi arborist George Palmer, who has been monitoring the situation closely.
‘It’s extremely concerning and a complete disregard for the fundamental principles of tree and forestry management.’
Woollahra Council maintains it is simply following procedure.
The Daily Mail has seen several email exchanges between Mr Palmer and Woollahra Council officials, including Andrew Simpson, the Head of Trees – a job title we didn’t know existed.
‘The only people to benefit from these works are the loppers,’ Palmer tells me.
While contractors do profit, councils often justify the work as a cost-saving measure, reducing maintenance, liability and infrastructure damage.
When contacted for comment on Tuesday, a Woollahra Council spokesperson explained its decision to prune the trees.
‘Following assessment by our arborists, a number of trees located on Balfour and Plumer Roads in Rose Bay and Ocean Street in Woollahra were found to be suffering from disease-related branch decay,’ they said.
‘To prevent tree-limb failure and ensure public safety, pruning the trees is a necessity.
‘This process induces the production of new shoots, forming a new crown for the trees which can be managed into the future, avoiding the need for removal of any of the trees, which are now more than 80 years old.’
The council’s explanation doesn’t convince Mr Palmer, who is highly critical of the quality of the work. He is convinced the Ocean Street trees will eventually be chopped down.
As for the future of London plane trees in the Woollahra Council area, Mr Palmer says any street lined with that particular species of deciduous tree is at risk.
While the council may have its reasons for hacking away, one thing is abundantly clear: the locals are not oaky with it. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
