Local Outrage: Tree vandals drill and poison NINE iconic fig trees on Balmoral Beach.

By ANNA USHER

Nine iconic fig trees on the Balmoral foreshore have been drilled and poisoned, in a callous act of vandalism that has rocked the local community.

Residents woke to the shocking news in Friday’s edition of the Mosman Mail, a weekly newsletter published by Mosman Collective.

A hunt is now underway for the vandal, with outraged residents calling for the person responsible to “rot in jail”.

“It is beyond comprehension to think someone could do this,” resident Kellie Thompson said this morning, “whoever did this must be caught, and I hope he rots in jail.”

Mosman Council has confirmed the drilling and poisoning of the majestic trees, located between Lower Almora St and Esther Rd on The Esplanade.

“On Monday morning 19 February, Council received a call from a Balmoral resident stating that they witnessed a person drilling a fig tree along the foreshore,” a spokesperson told Mosman Collective.

“Staff completed an onsite inspection and discovered nine fig trees in the area had been drilled. These included five semi-mature and four mature Port Jackson fig trees.”

“Each tree had numerous drill holes, which may have been filled with herbicide, at their bases.”

LISTEN: Anna Usher breaking the Balmoral news live on 2GB

Theories are being shared among furious locals as to why the historic trees, some of them more than 100 years old, were poisoned.

“OMG what an awful and selfish thing to do,” one resident commented on our social media pages this morning, “I’d be looking at whoever has lodged complaints with Council about the trees.”

“I reckon it’s the bats they want to get rid of,” said another.

“Sounds like the trees are blocking someone’s view,” another comment reads.

North Shore Police Area command have been alerted to the vandalism and are now investigating.

“This atrocious act of vandalism strikes at the very heart of what makes Balmoral special,” Councillor Roy Bendall said.

“It not only betrays the legacy of the diggers who built the Esplanade but all residents and visitors who bask in the shade provided by these magnificent trees.”

A Council spokesperson said contractors have “washed out” the drill holes and applied Seasol to the soil surrounding the Port Jackson figs.

Signs will be erected later today, appealing for any information about the poisoning.

“At this stage, Council staff are reasonably confident that the trees will survive,” the spokesperson said.

The trees will be inspected regularly for further signs of distress.

If you have more information – and CCTV or Dash Cam footage – please email [email protected] in the strictest confidence.