Local Property Owner Fined $10,000 After Cutting Down Significant 24-Metre Pine Tree
Key Takeaways
- Financial Penalty: A property owner was hit with a $10,000 fine and ordered to pay $4,800 in prosecutor costs.
- The Offence: A 24-metre Norfolk Island Pine was illegally removed from a private property in Killara without council consent.
- Caught Red-Handed: Council officers intercepted tree loppers packing up a crane and woodchipper after a call to the 24/7 'Tree Hotline'.
- Lack of Cooperation: The owner’s penalties were compounded by failing to provide records and refusing to attend an interview.
- Broader Crackdown: The case follows another recent prosecution where a builder faced $62,000 in fines and $63,851 in legal costs for removing five trees.
A Ku-ring-gai property owner has been successfully prosecuted and fined following the illegal removal of a mature tree in Killara. Local authorities state the successful sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the critical need to protect the area’s local tree canopy.
The investigation began after Ku-ring-gai Council received a call on its 24/7 ‘Tree Hotline’ reporting the illegal removal of a 24-metre Norfolk Island Pine on a private property.
When a Council officer attended the Killara site, tree loppers were caught red-handed. The contractors were already packing up a crane and woodchipper, leaving a substantial pile of freshly felled timber sitting on the council verge.
Court Penalties and Charges
The matter proceeded to the Hornsby Local Court in April, where the property owner faced multiple charges relating to the incident and a subsequent lack of cooperation with investigators.
The owner was formally sentenced for:
- Carrying out development without consent (the removal of the tree).
- Failing to comply with a formal request to provide information and records.
- Failure to attend a scheduled interview with Council officials.
The presiding Judge imposed a $10,000 penalty on the property owner and awarded prosecutors costs totalling $4,800.
Council Signals ‘Zero Tolerance’
Ku-ring-gai Mayor Christine Kay said the case stands as an important warning to property owners, builders, and developers regarding the significant risks of removing trees without prior council approval.
“Ku-ring-gai Council is committed to protecting and maintaining our precious tree canopy, especially threatened species or those of biodiversity value,” Mayor Kay said.
“We have zero tolerance to these types of offences and welcome the sentencing in this case. While we cannot undo the damage done in this particular case, we hope that this will serve as an important reminder to property owners, builders and developers to always comply with conditions of consent, take measures to protect trees during works and never remove trees without Council permission.”
A Growing Trend of Heavy Fines
his conviction is part of a broader, ongoing enforcement push by Ku-ring-gai Council against illegal land clearing.
Late last year, another successful prosecution in the Local Court saw a builder ordered to pay a combined total of $62,000 in fines. In addition to the baseline penalty, that builder was hit with more than $63,851 in legal costs after being found guilty of the illegal removal of five trees, including an Illawarra Flame tree, two Blackbutts, a Cypress tree, and a Jacaranda tree.
