Nine iconic fig trees on one of Australia’s most beautiful urban beaches have been drilled and poisoned.
Desperate efforts are now being made to save Port Jackson’s historic fig trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, overlooking Sydney’s Balmoral Beach.
The trees which now have holes in their roots are located between Lower Almora St and Esther Rd on the Esplanade, with one resident reporting they saw someone drilling into the majestic giants on Monday morning.
Anna Usher, who runs the website Mosman Collective, echoed the thoughts of many seething local residents when she called the poisoning a ‘d’.and act’.
Some holes have been drilled into the roots to poison nine historic Port Jackson fig trees, which overlook Sydney’s Balmoral Beach
“It’s the most appalling case of tree vandalism we’ve ever encountered,” Ms Usher told Sydney radio station 2GB on Friday.
‘They are iconic and part of what makes Mosman so special.’
Mosman Council confirmed the poisoning and has treated the trees by flushing out the boreholes and applying Seasol fertilizer around the roots, monitoring the trees for signs of ill health.
“At this stage council staff are reasonably confident that the trees will survive,” a spokesperson told Mosman Collective.
The municipality will put up signs calling for information about the poisoning.
The resident who believed he had seen someone drilling reported this to the municipality on Monday.
NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia on Friday that officers from NoRth Shore Police Area Command was informed of the incident on Monday ‘and is liaising with the council’.
Council staff are now making desperate attempts to save the heritage trees which have stood for more than 100 years
Residents were able to speculate on the motive for the poisoning on the Mosman Collective’s social media pages.
“OMG what a horrible and selfish thing to do,” one person said.
‘I would look at anyone who has made complaints to the council about the trees.’
“I think it’s the bats they want to get rid of,” said another, referring to the flying foxes that make the trees their home.
“It sounds like the trees are blocking someone’s view,” reads another comment.