A construction company that was ordered to pay $3,000 for destroying an oak tree now has to pay 15 times that amount after challenging the fine in court.
The developer was fined $45,000 earlier this month for damaging the 80-year-old tree at a construction site in Revesby, west of Sydney, in 2023.
Last year, the City of Canterbury Bankstown had initially fined the company $3,000 for failing to protect the tree.
Several branches were cut and roots damaged due to a concrete slab that was poured too close to the area.
The developer was building duplexes on the site and a council inspection found excavation work was taking place in a tree protection zone.
The company decided to challenge the fine in Bankstown Local Court, but the appeal failed spectacularly.
The court heard the excavation work was carried out without the supervision of a certified arborist.
Judge Glenn Walsh, who handed down the ruling, said the company was “well versed in the legal ways of dealing with this situation”.
The developer was hit with a massive fine for damaging the oak tree (pictured) after several branches were cut off and the roots destroyed by a concrete slab.
“Cost cutting may be the only reason behind the actions,” Judge Walsh said.
The city council has been forced to remove the tree due to the damage.
A council spokesman said protecting vulnerable natural resources is an important part of the council’s responsibilities.
“The Council takes the enforcement of environmental standards very seriously and we will not tolerate those who want to cut corners,” he said.
“Let this serve as a warning that if you do something wrong, you will be caught and fined.”
The council has been pushing for tougher penalties to deter tree removal and vandalism in the community.
Last month, 12 large eucalyptus trees were poisoned and 13 were cut down on a property on Henry Lawson Drive.
The developer was building duplexes on the site (pictured) and a council inspection found excavation work was taking place in a tree protection zone.
Imposing fines roughly equivalent to the value of the tree felling was one of the penalties discussed at a recent council meeting.
Local councils are responsible for managing tree populations in New South Wales.
Trees that are more than three metres tall or have a crown that is more than two metres wide require council approval before being removed.
Anyone who removes a tree illegally can be fined $3,000 and the company can be fined $6,000 for the violation.