A group of volunteers say they’ve been labelled tree vandals for daring to cut branches off trees in Sydney parks to feed sick animals – but this council is having none of it, warning fines will be issued if the volunteers continue their “illegal” activities.
City of Canada Bay has banned animal rescue group WIRES from taking cuttings from public trees in the council area, which volunteers say is a much-needed food source for ringtail and brushtail possums.
WIRES volunteers like Kristen Spasojevic are banned from pruning in Canada Bay.Credit: Nick Moir
“Realistically, if council tells us that we can’t take cuttings from trees, we can’t take care of animals. That’s the bottom line,” WIRES Inner West branch vice-chair Emily Saker said.
WIRES volunteers say they had been regularly pruning trees such as certain eucalyptus varieties, figs and lilly pillies on public land across Sydney without issue until August last year, when a volunteer was confronted by council arborists while using a pole saw to cut from a tree in Campbell Park, Chiswick.
WIRES claims the volunteer was told by the arborist that it was an act of tree vandalism and was threatened with a fine if they continued. In December last year, the same volunteer was confronted near the Croatia Club in Concord and again threatened with a fine.
“We’re at risk of losing carers … a lot of our volunteers are elderly, a lot of our volunteers can be pensioners. And the idea of somebody approaching you when you are doing a public good as a volunteer and being told that you will get a fine or potentially charged with vandalism, it just puts our volunteers between a rock and a hard place,” Saker said.
Council staff told volunteers in an email that taking cuttings from trees was “not a sustainable practice” and it would have “long-term detrimental impacts”.
“Unfortunately, council processes and legislation cannot make any exceptions for individuals or corporations undertaking pruning without the relevant qualifications,” the email said.
Volunteers within the Inner West Council area can take cuttings without issue, and no complaints have been made against volunteers, a council spokesperson said.
In Canada Bay, the council urged volunteers to find other sites such as Sydney Olympic Park, Callan Park, Western Sydney Parklands, and the Ku-ring-gai Council area. But many volunteers, such as possum carer Kristen Spasojevic, don’t have the means to travel so far.
Canada Bay suggested they could drop by with cuttings from council pruning activities. However, Spasojevic said this isn’t always suitable as possums need a good variety of leaf species, with both mature and young foliage.
A ringtail possum currently under WIRES care in North Strathfield. Credit: Nick Moir
Local Liberal MP Stephanie Di Pasqua was contacted by the volunteers after their efforts to find a solution with the council stalled. She said the decision is “just plain wrong”.
“This decision is another example of bureaucratic red tape getting in the way of common sense. Council should be working alongside WIRES volunteers, not creating hurdles that make it harder for them to care for injured and endangered wildlife,” she said.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said it has offered to support the volunteers by providing some foliage collected in the course of approved works by staff and contractors.
“Our trees are an important part of our natural environment, so it’s crucial that pruning is undertaken by appropriately qualified professionals who are trained to manage trees in a way that preserves their health and structure,” the spokesperson said.
Tree vandalism is an increasing issue for Canada Bay and other harbour-front councils across Sydney, especially at reserves blocking potential harbour views.
The state government is pursuing increasing the penalties, which currently stand at $3000 fines for individuals.
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