Georges River Council has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the local environment and staff safety with the prosecution of a tree lopper who obstructed compliance team officers during an investigation into an illegal tree removal at a property in Mortdale.
The tree lopper was convicted in Sutherland Local Court last month for breaching the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, following the incident in April, with the magistrate imposing a fine of $6,600 and professional costs of $500.
Council places a strong emphasis on protecting trees within its area and has comprehensive tree management processes in place to protect and enhance the urban tree canopy. This includes an over-arching Tree Management Policy and the relevant sections of Council’s Development Control Plans (DCPs), the Council said in a statement.
Council’s vision is for a local government area that prioritises the protection of trees for their ecological, aesthetic, social and economic contribution to our lifestyle, and encouraging international best practice for managing the existing tree population and planting of future canopy, said Mayor, Elise Borg.
“Trees are an important contributor to the character of Georges River and our Council staff play a key role in protecting our local environment,” the Mayor said.
“Council takes matters like this very seriously and will continue taking a strong stand to protect the trees and river for our community.
“Trees are not just part of our landscape; they are part of our legacy. Protecting them means preserving the health, beauty, and resilience of our local area for generations to come.”
Council says its investigation into the alleged illegal tree removal is ongoing.
