Sydney council erects bold banner on poisoned 100yo tree amid surge in vandalism
A local council in Sydney’s upper north shore has made a bold statement, hoping to gather information after a 100yo endangered tree was poisoned.
An eco-conscious council in Sydney’s upper north shore has erected a banner on a 100-year-old tree suspected to have been poisoned amid a string of similar incidents in the area.
The banner reads in bold ‘this tree has been poisoned’, with Hornsby council urging anyone with information about the vandalism of the tree to come forward.
The turpentine tree is located on Goodlands Ave in Thornleigh and is believed to have been standing for the last century, a local of the area told Nine.
The tree species makes up a major part of Sydney’s Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, which is currently listed as a critically endangered ecological community.
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change states all native plants in an endangered ecological community are protected under both state and federal legislation and “care must be taken not to harm them”.
A Hornsby Council spokesman said eight drill holes had been found in the trunk of the vandalised tree by two council arborists.
“Latest aerial photography from January 2025 shows the tree in good health,” the spokesman said.
“Assessment of the upper canopy indicates that the tree was poisoned by the dead leaves that are retained on the branches.”
The council estimated the tree was more than 80 years old based on aerial photography from 1943, making it a relatively young organism given its species typically live beyond 300 years.
Sadly, a council spokesman confirmed the ancient tree was not likely to survive.
“Most of the canopy is dead, and it is unlikely the tree will recover,” they said.
Hornsby mayor Warren Waddell told Nine council were investigating a recent spate of tree poisonings around the Hornsby shire.
“As the Bushland Shire, maintaining and reinforcing our tree canopy is a high priority for Council,” a council spokesman said.
“Our staff are investigating the circumstances behind this suspected poisoning.”
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