A disturbing act of alleged environmental vandalism has left dozens of trees dying along a 300-metre stretch of coastline at Dicky Beach, including two iconic Norfolk pines.
Sunshine Coast Council is investigating what has been described by its staff as one of the region’s worst cases of vegetation poisoning in decades.
The poisoning, believed to involve a granular chemical spread across the ground, was first reported to Council in August. Residue testing and further investigations are continuing, while arborists closely monitor the affected trees in the hope that some can be saved.
The damage has raised serious concerns for the local environment, with established trees, including a large banksia, also among those affected. The loss could have significant consequences for the birds and other wildlife that rely on this coastal vegetation.
Councillor Terry Landsberg says those responsible could face Council fines of around $130,000, with potentially even greater penalties under state environmental legislation.
For locals who have watched these trees grow over decades, the damage is heartbreaking.
As one long-time Caloundra resident put it:
“It takes decades to grow a tree and one selfish coward to poison it.”
Council is urging anyone with information that may assist the investigation to come forward.
Our natural environment is one of the Sunshine Coast’s greatest assets. Once these established trees are gone, replacing them is not something that can happen overnight.
