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Clarissa Mattingly first noticed her half-century-old conifer tree dying while gardening over Easter.
A closer inspection unveiled fresh wood shavings and 14 holes drilled into the tree’s roots. Arborist Julian Parry inspected the tree and suspects the holes were filled with herbicide.
Mattingly alleges vandals trespassed on her Mosman property to kill the conifer which adorns her backyard, and improve neighbours’ views.
Mosman Council is hitting back at the north shore’s tree-vandals-at-large by hiring a full-time tree cop.
“You read about it, and you think how senseless it is, but when it happens to you, you really do feel enraged and violated,” Mattingly said.
It was an amateur effort, with only half of the tree successfully poisoned, as was a separate attempt last year, when Mattingly believes the tree was sprayed with herbicide.
Feeling “incensed”, she has pledged to plant two new trees if the conifer dies.
These are the latest victims in a string of tree vandalism cases in Sydney, with a decision-making calculus that baffles local councils.
“People think, well, I’ll pay the $3000 [fine],” Mosman Mayor Ann Marie Kimber said, “because it’s going to add $50,000 to my property.
“Do they realise they’re selfish vandals? Do they consider themselves as that? Because that’s what they are.”
A May council meeting determined a tree compliance officer was needed for “proactive surveillance”, following the illegal pruning of two Port Jackson fig trees in Balmoral in December. In their place, a council banner has flown, obstructing views despite resident outcry.
General manager Craig Covich confirmed the tree officer is budgeted for 2026-27, though the position’s cost is not publicly available.
Parry, the arborist at the forefront of the war, has witnessed a significant increase in intentional tree killings over five years.
“It’s getting to a stage now where it’s so bad, this tree poisoning, that people actually need to be sent to prison,” he said. “I feel really sorry for council tree officers because they’ve got a really uphill battle.”
The battle has plagued harbourside councils in recent years. In 2024, nine Port Jackson fig trees were drilled and poisoned on the Balmoral foreshore.
Last year, a 100-year-old fig tree was drilled and poisoned in Horse Paddock, Woolwich, a block from another illegal tree removal in 2024.
In November 2023, Lane Cove Council investigated the suspected chainsawing of 60 to 100 trees at Woodford Bay Reserve. That same year, 265 trees were poisoned and hacked at H.D. Robb Reserve in Castle Cove. Willoughby Council described it as a large-scale environmental crime.
Kimber said the tree cop appointment was inspired by Willoughby Council’s tree compliance officer, which was reported as a major success since its 2024 inception.
Mosman Council is considering CCTV in high-risk areas. While cheaper, councillors expressed concern for locals’ privacy, and the likelihood of vandals to “hoodie up, cover their faces”.
As residents await the tree cop, the council is planting a 200-litre Port Jackson fig tree on the Balmoral foreshore and will remove the banner obstructing views.
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Siena Fagan is a social media producer at The Sydney Morning Herald.From our partners
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