Tree and vegetation vandalism watch

EcoNetwork has submitted to Council in regard to its Tree Vandalism Policy, and the loss of transparent procedures. We want the community to confidently know Council’s plans for action — we are never sure as the Tree Vandalism Policy is silent on those procedures. In the examples below, we have noted where there’s been active Council and community action.

EcoNetwork is calling on this Council to be proactive to address this needless situation — and now, March 2025, in the first few months of our newly elected council, we are seeing positive steps for a more active response. This started with Cr Armstrong’s call for a review of the current Tree Vandalism Policy following the incidences on the Bridle Path. The review is currently underway. Read here EcoNetwork’s preliminary policy review advice.

Following the Shoal Bay incident, Mayor Anderson was clear about Council’s intent for action.

RESIDENTS at Shoal Bay are in outrage after yet another tree vandal has attacked newly planted shade trees on the Shoal Bay Foreshore development.

Two of the trees planted directly opposite the Bay Village complex right in the middle of town have likely been poisoned in the last week.

Then candidate, and now east Ward councillor, Roz Armstrong called for action, “Where it’s been thought that trees have been poisoned or destroyed to increase view from private properties, the Council should put up bunting to make sure the public knows that it’s a case of vandalism and leave it there while replacement trees mature.”

Port Stephens Council later confirmed in May 2022 that the foreshore vandalised trees were poisoned. PSC’s Mr Steve Peart said “Trees in public spaces are an important part of the Shoal Bay foreshore creating shade, helping to moderate high temperatures, creating habitat for birdlife and storing carbon”.

NoTA reported also.

The junction of Burbong and Gloucester streets overlook Bagnalls Beach, the estuary and the hills to the north beyond Pindimar. A scenic spot and one that over the years has lost so much as neighbours in the vicinity chip away at the vegetation.

2025 Feb 18th ~ eucalypt sapling uprooted

Nelson Bay West Landcare frequently volunteer their time here, removing weeds then replacing with attractive ground covers and small bushes to complement the existing small trees and bushes.

However, recruiting trees to this site is problematic.

This uprooted eucalypt sapling was found 18 Feb 2025.

2024 Oct ~ Small bird habitat compromised 

Small birds like this variegated wren on Westringia or Coastal Rosemary, is a favourite for many.

Small dense bushes provide places for small birds to hide and shelter, and are important for small bird survival.

Photographed at this site.

Below a large branch was cut from a bush, now dead it is seen brown (a) poked into the bush as though to hide it. (b) The bush is now more open and without that branch is now not such great protective habitat. (c) The shrub’s large branch was temporarily removed to show its size.

Further down the slope from the small bird habitat, and in the same line of sight, a mature Tea-tree was cut down.

2024 Aug ~ Westringia or Coastal Rosemary damaged

The shrubs along the sidewalk are an important part of the small bird habitat, providing protection and supporting tasty insects

2023 May to November ~ multiple Coast Banksias chainsawed as well as a Tuckeroo

2023 November ~ Branches pruned from a fallen banksia near the beach.

2023 November ~ Branches pruned from a fallen banksia near the beach.

2023 June ~ Nearer the foreshore fence opening, young Coast Banksias felled, branches chainsawed and a young Tuckeroo stem snapped

2023 June ~ at the western end of the slope, a Tuckeroo was felled and suspicious damage to a group of Coast Banksias was evident.

Conroy Park has a history of plant loss, whether vandalism, or from erosion.

2024 early; A Casuarina near Conroy Park’s play equipment was repeatedly snapped until it eventually died. This is surprising, as seemingly not in view lines. Curious as to what motivates people who needlessly vandalise.

Nov 2024; Native geranium ground covers, a landcare planting following removal of invasive weeds, were removed en mass from near the Corlette amenities.

Corlette foreshore between Conroy Park west to the Anchorage / Corlette Point, includes patches of remnant natural bush, some foreshore native creepers and grasses, and extensive mown grassed area with garden encroachment from the adjoining private properties. This has developed over considerable time with current landholders maintaining an extended grass / garden area on the public land. Unfortunately some don’t respect the remnant native vegetation, further encroaching and vandalising it, in contravention of Council’s Landcare Action Plan for the area. The remaining natural vegetation needs to be protected and enhanced.

2025 Jan; A lone surviving tea tree on Corlette Beach seemingly poisoned. No Council action.

2024 Nov; about 40 naturally regenerating Coast Banksias removed midway along this foreshore reserve ~ while few would mature, none now remain.

The tea tree and the removed banksia seedlings were in the vicinity of the red mark, west of Conroy Park, on the beach stretch to the Anchorage Resort..

Early 2024, 8 trees and tea trees begun dying suspiciously in one area in front of a sold property.

Council rangers inspected and spoke to adjacent residents. Apparently with lack of lack of proof of poisoning, no further action taken. At the time rangers inspected garden waste dumping which still is continues.

A year later some survive but look stressed.

Council’s foreshore area slopes steeply down from the adjacent homes that overlook scattered paperbark trees, mangroves and Salamander Bay. The area is largely cleared and mown. Increasingly the foreshore is being modified as adjacent landholders create embankments for recreational crafts and access.

2024?? Adjacent to Corlette Point on its western vegetated edge, two trees were ring-barked and are now dead.

Mangroves on Corlette’s foreshore are (or were??) roosting sites for white-faced herons. Photographed in mangroves at Corlette foreshore in 2014, this pair of white-faced herons are in breeding plumage. Herons can build their nest – a loose cluster of sticks – in mangroves and other places.

2023 Mangroves were poisoned in a section of the foreshore. Sometimes these occurrences coincide with changed property ownership.

In the last 10 years here, the mangroves have thinned considerably.

Again on Wanda Ave, this time at its north west end, close to the intersection with Foreshore Drive, three trees were poisoned – two close together at left of photo and third one to right of the photo.

PSC erected a temporary “trees vandalised” sign not long after the trees died.

The red mesh is in front of a demolished house. Towards the end of 2024, building commenced on a new dwelling, and workmen started to cut down an old growth blackbutt (not visible in photo above), though to the right of the leaning poisoned tree, which is visible in the photo below far tip left and leaning.

This huge blackbutt — now in its demise — had a diameter of over a metre at its base.

On questioning about the health of the chainsawed blackbutt, the tree lopper indicated it was healthy.

The local community were outraged at this ongoing loss of trees and in particular of a healthy blackbutt.

On enquiring of Council, they were told that the owners had permission to remove the blackbutt to make room for the driveway.  The landcare representative challenged this permission as there was still room for a driveway.  It seems that in the initial planning of the house this tree could have been identified for protection, particularly as it was on public land.

This was the third old growth tree in Wanda Ave that had been removed in 2024.  The other tree halfway up Wanda Avenue overhung the road and was close to a large Ficus species. 

Standing tall, a reminder of its former glory, this dead eucalypt at the top of the bank on upper Cook St near the Randall Drive intersection was poisoned to “enhance” views of the bay in 2018

Without the canopy, weed vines like Morning Glory proliferate. After spraying, the landcare group removed Morning Glory and other weeds ~ leaving a brown bank evident in the photo.

The bank is now heavily vegetated, though needs constant weeding, particularly of invasive vines. Planted trees and lomandras near the crest are growing successfully, though several climbers planted at the base of the dead tree haven’t survived — possibly shallow soil and compaction prevent their reestablishment. 

Remnant patches of Coastal Swamp Oak Forest grow along Sunset Beach and other protected spots on Soldiers Point. Many stands of Coastal Swamp Oak Forest are an endangered community  under Commonwealth legislation where groundwater is brackish on coastal flats and estuarine fringes, and soils are at least occasionally water-logged or inundated.

On the margins of a largish remnant stand of Casuarina glauca on Sunset Beach opposite Brown Lane, more than 12 medium sized trees were roughly cut down. Council quickly erected a small sign and talked to residents and visitors in the area.

On the margins of a largish remnant stand of Casuarina glauca on Sunset Beach opposite Brown Lane, more than 12 medium sized trees were roughly cut down. Council quickly erected a small sign and talked to residents and visitors in the area.

Soon after Soldiers Point – Salamander Bay Landcare, Council and a sympathetic resident planted about 40 Casuarina glauca propagated at Ngioka. Not only will their roots help reduce sand erosion, they are an important patch of diversity, a food source for local Black Cockatoos, and habitat for other local wildlife.

Most new plantings thrived, though unfortunately, over the next few months the Tree Vandalism sign was torn down, and a few of the smaller trees ripped out.

Also disturbing was activity at the other end of this Casuarina stand. Branches were ripped from a beautiful Coastal Banksia, though at least the banksia survived.

Black cockatoos enjoy banksia and casuarina nuts.

A large branch ripped from the majestic Coastal Banksia.

No deterrent measures are currently in place for this ongoing vandalised site to protect the remaining remnant stand and the new plantings.

Incredible to believe that anyone would destroy this coastal fringe of Native Frangipani, Hymenosporum flavum — with their fragrant, cream-coloured, tubular flowers that bloom in early spring and darken with age to a deep sulphur yellow. The effect of masses of cream and yellow flowers is lovely.

Described as a tall shrub or small tree, of tropical rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, its distribution extends south to the Hunter River. Here at Soldiers Point it is associated with the endangered littoral rainforest. 

Native Frangipani create a shady haven that attract nectar feeding birds, bees, butterflies and a multitude of insects – now essentially gone from here!

A beautiful young stand of Native Frangipani in Mitchell Street, Soldiers Point, is now completely destroyed, progressively poisoned and broken.

While Bannisters had permission to trim some vegetation in the Seaview Reserve bayside of their property, beyond the existing mown grass firebreak, unsupervised they wreaked havoc. Vegetation close to their building remained untouched, ‘seemingly’ not a fire hazard.

Read more in EcoNetwork‘s report, death by a 1000 cuts, or in the Examiner.

On Cromarty Bay Road, at Yachett Point Reserve abutting the Stoney Ridge Reserve, we saw possibly the most devastating and significant destruction of trees in a public reserve on our peninsula.

Even worse, this is part of an endangered littoral rainforest community, the last significant remnant on the Tomaree Peninsula — only minute patches remain elsewhere.

Approximately 27 mature casuarina, paperbark and forest red gum trees were killed, along with undergrowth.

The local Soldiers Point Landcare Group offered to replant the forest if Council supplied the plants, and requested prominent signage to mask the view corridor. Apparently there was no replanting, nor active deterrent actions in Council’s follow-up. The white ghostly trees still stand as a reminder of a proud and diverse endangered littoral rainforest, and of the destructive, selfish nature of some in our society.

Story and image of vandalised trees, NoTA.