Rob Stokes lashes Inner West Council over tree-clearing policy

Anger over the Inner West Council’s controversial new tree-clearing policy – which gives private landholders the right to remove the vast majority of trees in the area – has spread beyond environmental campaigners to the state Coalition government.

The new policy to allow landholders the right to remove trees within three metres of any household structure was adopted in the form of last-minute amendments devised among the council’s Labor and Liberal representatives, along with the independent Victor Macri.

The policy is an outlier among inner-city council areas in giving private residents almost unrestricted rights to remove trees on their land, says Jeff Angel from the Total Environment Centre.

“There's a difference between council areas with large lots like the Hills and inner suburban council areas with small lots,” he said. Almost any tree in the Inner West would be within three metres of a structure, said Mr Angel, who said the policy went far beyond what was allowed in the Canada Bay, Strathfield, Bayside, City of Sydney, Burwood, Waverley, Woollahra, or North Sydney council areas.

Residents of Sydney's inner west face fewer restrictions to cutting trees down on their own properties, under a new council policy. Credit: Nick Moir

Mr Angel has written to Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes, asking him to intervene. The letter to Mr Stokes also criticises the council’s justification for the policy, which is that it alleviates financial pressure on low-income residents; he said the council failed to consider alternative measures.

In a response for the Herald, Mr Stokes also criticised the council’s policy. "It's disappointing that in an attempt to provide more clarity to residents about tree clearing, the Inner West Council will now allow trees to be removed with very little restriction or oversight,” Mr Stokes said. "While we of course agree that homeowners should be free to remove trees on their property that present a fire or safety risk to their home, we must ensure any tree clearing is done in a responsible way that doesn't lead to the devastation of an area's tree canopy."

The measure to allow the removal of a tree within three metres of a structure without permission was added as an amendment to a policy that had been on public exhibition for over a year. The amendment had been previously agreed upon by Cr Macri and Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne – but it was described as an “ambush” by Greens councillors, who thought the council would adopt the policy that had been exhibited.

Cr Byrne described the adopted policy as a “common sense” rebalancing, making it “easier for residents to remove dangerous or inappropriate trees while simultaneously requiring the Council to be more ambitious about new plantings on public and private land”.

He also accused Mr Stokes of hypocrisy, given the trees that have been razed in the area for the government’s infrastructure projects.

“The government has chopped down more than 200 casuarina trees along the City West Link in recent weeks,” Cr Byrne said.

“I am shocked that Minister Stokes was able to take time out from slashing down trees and approving WestConnex smoke stacks near schools in the inner west to comment on this.”