‘People are horrified’: Wealthy suburb erupts
A controversial decision made by Waverley Council has officially backfired, with one local mum leading the charge for change.
A Sydney council has come under fire after a decision which has left many locals questioning its priorities.
At a meeting in September, Waverley Council – home to some of Sydney’s most sought after beachside suburbs where the median house price is $7.5 million – opted to remove a line of trees and coastal vegetation, blocking locals’ “iconic views”.
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The decision was made off the back of a petition, which at the time had 21 signatures from homeowners along Myuna Road in Dover Heights. These locals said that the trees, planted over a decade ago, now block their sweeping views of Sydney Harbour.
Councillors voted almost unanimously to cut the trees down, saying that the greenery now goes against the council’s own policy.
“Before these trees were planted 10 years ago, previous vegetation did not grow beyond three metres in height and did not impact views. Photographic evidence supports this,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
“The tuckeroo trees have grown to four metres tall and the foliage has completely blocked pre-existing views. Under our current Waverley Council tree policy, careful consideration of tree species would now be made at this location so as not to impact pre-existing views.”
The spokesperson added that there was an attempt at a compromise, trimming the trees instead of cutting them down entirely. However, in their eyes, it wasn’t enough.
“Council has trimmed the trees in a bid to remedy the situation, but the extent of pruning that was possible did not re-establish the views,” they said.
“Council resolved near unanimously to remove the tuckeroo trees and replace them with suitable vegetation that will not grow beyond 2.5 metres in height.”
But, this week, it has become clear that this decision does not necessarily align with the views of other local residents, beyond Myuna Road.
After seeing trees cut down close to her own home in April this year, mum and business owner Megan Blumenthal has been leading the way for more locals to have their voices heard, telling news.com.au that she started her own opposing petition to share a new perspective.
“It’s to get what I feel is a voice across the community, because I just don’t think our community has been represented,” she shared.
Her petition, which asks people to “help stop the senseless removal of native trees for ‘Coastal Views’ in Waverley”, has accumulated over 300 signatures in less than a week, indicating to Ms Blumenthal that the people have well and truly spoken.
“I do not have a big following, I do not have an email list, this is organic,” she said.
“People are just horrified. Absolutely horrified.”
In her petition, Ms Blumenthal shared that her primary concern was that these trees – both along Myuna Road, and in a number of reserves where Council has also recently said it will be removing vegetation – not only provide shade and cooling, but are also a critical habitat for native wildlife, adding that removing them entirely felt like an unjustified and rushed solution.
“I get that people care about their views, I really do. But, be sensible,” she said.
“Trim the overgrown foliage, you don’t have to remove an entire street’s worth. The whole thing seems so extreme.”
Council’s perspective also goes against an overwhelming trend towards protecting ecologically important vegetation in similar Aussie suburbs.
A video posted to TikTok went viral earlier this year, showing a sign put up by Sunshine Coast Council, responding to a tree which had been illegally cut down to provide beach views for a local resident.
“This vegetation has been illegally vandalised,” the sign read.
“People found damaging native vegetation will be prosecuted.
“This sign will remain in place until vegetation has regrown to its previous extent.”
A similar sign was erected by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust last year, in place of a tree cut down suspectedly by a local resident to provide a view of the harbour.
Ms Blumenthal said that to her knowledge, Waverley Council is set to begin cutting down these trees as soon as next Friday, urging them to reconsider their decision before then.
She also encouraged Councillors to look back on their existing Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy, put together in 2023, and the Biodiversity Action Plan.
The Urban Greening and Cooling Strategy sets out the actions required to achieve 35 per cent green cover by 2032, comprising 20 per cent canopy cover and 15 per cent shrub cover, and includes goals including protecting, restoring and enhancing public trees and green space, and activating community stewardship for trees and greening.
The Biodiversity Action Plan was created one year prior, and relates to the protection and regeneration of the near six hectares of remnant vegetation in Waverley.
“They’ve done all the work already,” she said of the plans.
“Just follow what the experts have actually suggested. The Biodiversity Action Plan is perfect, that’s all they have to do.”
When approached for comment by news.com.au, Waverley Council did not address Ms Blumenthal’s petition in its statement.
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Originally published as ‘People are horrified’: Wealthy suburb erupts
