Prime Sydney Harbour views blocked with banner after trees cut in Longueville ecological vandalism

A Sydney council has followed through with threats to block prized waterside views this week after almost 300 trees were illegally felled. The huge double-sided red banner was installed on the foreshore in Longueville, stating “trees shouldn’t die for a view”. “290+ trees illegally destroyed. Lane Cove stands tall against tree vandalism,” the banner continues. The move by the inner-city Lane Cove Council comes about 10 months after a nature strip which bookends the affluent suburb were cut down in November last year. Installation of the 7m sign began late last month, promising to obstruct harbour view of the properties which would most benefit from the mass clearing. Earlier this year, Lane Cove Mayor Scott Bennison described the illegal clearing as “outrageous” and promised council will seek to prosecute the case with criminal charges. “I’m sure I speak for all in our community in saying the mass destruction of trees at this scale is outrageous and the culprit needs to be prosecuted to the full extent possible,” he said. In January, Lane Cove said staff had identified “person/s of interest” and investigations are ongoing. “This action is in response to Council’s commitment to obscure any view/harbour outlook that will have been gained by the destruction of the habitat,” the council said. The council has stated the banner will remain in place until vegetation has grown back to a suitable height. Among the destroyed mature trees were Eucalypts, Banksia and Casuari, with the area considered an endangered ecological community. Longueville does not quite slip into Sydney’s top 10 most expensive suburbs, but RealEstate.com lists the median house price as $5.9m.