Sydney was promised 6000 trees. There’s nowhere to plant them

A state government promise to replace thousands of trees cut down for Sydney’s newest motorway has hit a roadblock after workers discovered there is not enough room to plant them.

Transport for NSW confirmed the 6000 trees to offset the 3000 cut down for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway upgrade on the north shore may be planted hundreds of metres from the $6.7 billion motorway due to a shortage of land within the project’s corridor.

Cammeray resident Steph McCullough pictured at one of the tunnel construction zones in Cammeray.Credit: Dylan Coker

The removal of trees in suburbs including Cammeray, Neutral Bay and North Sydney sparked backlash from some residents, who now fear the promise to replace them has been “broken”.

Since construction on the motorway began in mid-2022, 3000 trees have been felled from nature strips and sites including Cammeray Golf Course and St Leonards Park.

To offset the removal, the transport department had pledged to replace every tree cut under a two-for-one scheme.

Transport for NSW has confirmed that some trees may have to be planted outside the project’s 500-metre radius due to factors including a shortage of available public land and the presence of infrastructure.

Hundreds of trees were cut down at Cammeray Golf Course for the motorway upgrade.Credit: Nick Moir

“Because of these factors, we acknowledge it is challenging to find enough locations for trees, and we will need to look for planting opportunities beyond immediate project areas,” a spokeswoman said.

“We are prioritising returning trees to the locations they were removed from and within the project area.”

Cammeray resident Steph Wiseman believes the community is being “short-changed” as workers wrestle to find sufficient space.

“Where we had grassland and trees, we now have concrete, [and] the trees need to be replaced from where they’ve been removed,” Wiseman said.

The new tunnel will link the Rozelle Interchange to the Warringah FreewayCredit: Nick Moir

Fellow resident Marianne De Souza said changes to the program represent a breach of conditions of consent for the motorway, which stipulated that new trees must be planted on public land within 500 metres of the project boundary.

The Department of Planning approval also required an overall net increase in tree canopy.

“Residents are angry that these trees will never be fully replaced in the right areas,” De Souza said.

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker, who has been locked in talks with Transport for NSW, said she was “frustrated” the challenges had not been resolved.

“The new trees were meant to be the peak gift to the community for the disruptions caused by the project and [Transport for NSW] have a moral obligation to ameliorate those impacts,” she said.

“The department has been working on this for two years, they’ve engaged external consultants and there has even been suggestions the new trees may have to be planted on private land such as in people’s backyards because of the lack of space.

“This should have been resolved sooner.”

Transport for NSW, in a statement, said the community would be updated on the tree replacement strategy, which will include a mix of “super advanced” and “semi-mature” trees, including natives.

The 6.5-kilometre Western Harbour Tunnel linking WestConnex in Rozelle to the Warringah Freeway in Cammeray is due to open in 2028.

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