REVEALED: Number of trees cut down in western suburbs
Announced last August, the State Governments $7.2 million Tree Recovery program opened up to applicants across the State to help fund replacement planting projects.
It comes after Perth's western suburbs were hit with a devastating blow to their tree canopy, with six of the seven local governments experiencing rapid tree deaths due to the invasive beetle species.
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According to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, a total of 2308 trees have been removed and 529 pruned — some multiple times — on both private and public land in Perth's western suburbs since June.
The City of Nedlands have carried the bulk of this figure, removing a total of 1124 trees across its local government area.
Every other western suburb have cut down between 150 to 360 trees, with the Town of Cottesloe removing the least amount of trees at 100.
WA Tree Canopy Advocate Sarah Allchurch described the western suburbs as 'ground zero' for the invasive species. WA Tree Canopy Advocate Sarah Allchurch. Credit: WATCA
'At Lake Claremont alone, 170 trees have been lost to PSHB — and that's just one site in one suburb.'
'These kinds of numbers show that Perth's so-called 'leafiest suburbs' are taking a substantial hit to their mature tree populations, which are crucial for reducing urban heat and supporting biodiversity,' she said.
Although the newly available funding is a 'welcome response', Ms Allchurch said the State Government was 'late to the party'.
'Councils needed that support last year,' she said.
'If we're serious about stopping the spread and protecting both our urban canopy and agriculture sector, we need a more coordinated, proactive and transparent approach.'
All of Perth's western suburb councils — except the Shire of Peppermint Grove — have said they are planning to apply for the tree recovery grant funding.
The program provides up to $1,140 per PSHB-affected tree removed, covering the cost of one primary replacement tree, two additional trees, and associated establishment items.
Applications for the grant program close on July 7. Successful applicants will be announced in early August.
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The Advertiser
08-08-2025
- The Advertiser
Jaw-dropping video of shark snacking at Lake Macquarie emerges as anglers suspect numbers surge
JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler."
Perth Now
06-08-2025
- Perth Now
North Perth locals left in the dark over ‘trashed' Hyde Park
North Perth residents have been left wondering what the future holds for Hyde Park after trees were removed to stop the spread of the polyphagous shot-hole borer. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development removed mature trees from the park's islands after PSHB was detected. The project is now complete but some North Perth residents feel left in the dark about future restoration plans, saying on social media they don't feel as if they have enough information. A post by Eva Pellegrini described the park as 'trashed' but no one was talking about it. 'The island habitat is destroyed, water levels have surged, footpaths are flooding, and bags of woodchips are left behind,' the post said. The Hyde Park tree restoration program has already started. Credit: City of Vincent 'DPRID quietly announced it was abandoning eradication altogether. 'Yet the work continued without pause, updated advice, or environmental reassessment.' According to the City of Vincent's website, more trees were able to be retained than originally thought which put it in a better position to re-establish canopy more quickly. Bags filled with soil were ready to be spread across the islands as part of the city's four-year restoration project. The project will include 4000 new plants in the first year alone. The priority is to prepare the area to prevent erosion and ensure the two islands are in the best condition for healthy plant growth. The city said is confident its restoration program will see the islands flourish again. Vincent mayor Alison Xamon said protecting tree canopy continued to be their highest priority. 'We have developed a four-year plan in partnership with industry experts to restore the Hyde Park islands and we are confident they will thrive with as much, if not more, greenery than before,' she said. 'Extra care is being taken to protect birds and wildlife during and after the restoration works,' 'The city is dedicated to being open and transparent with the community and has been sharing details of the Hyde Park restoration project via our website and through social media at every stage.' The community can stay up-to-date with the progress of the project by visiting the city website or using the QR code on signage located at Hyde Park.
West Australian
30-07-2025
- West Australian
WA's first feral deer cull under way in Harvey area to tackle state's increasing pest population
WA's first deer cull is under way to manage the State's feral deer population before it spirals out of control. Operations near Esperance are complete and culling near Harvey will begin this week. The cull is expected to end in late August, with analysis to determine the effectiveness of controlling the feral deer population through aerial culls. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said the culling program was on track. 'The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is conducting localised aerial control for feral deer in the Esperance and Harvey areas,' she said. 'Operations are on schedule, with aerial control near Esperance now complete and control operations set to begin in the Harvey area this week.' A two-year survey of feral deer populations covered 660sqkm near Esperance, 440sqkm near Harvey, and 41spkm near Muchea in 2023 and 2024. More than 1500 feral deer were identified in the three targeted areas — with about 660 feral deer found near Esperance, about 700 near Harvey, and about 170 near Muchea. A spokeswoman for WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis previously told the Countryman the State was in a 'unique' position to control feral deer populations while they were still 'relatively small and localised'. A declared pest, feral deer damage the environment and the agriculture industry by grazing on native plants, competing with native animals for food and habitat resources, impacting water quality and soil properties, and damaging pasture, commercial crops and orchards. Additionally, they act as carriers for pathogens and diseases, and can transmit exotic livestock diseases to sheep, goats, and cattle. Australia is home to more than 1.5 million feral deer, the population exploding from about 80,000 in 1980. Landholders who see feral deer on their property can report sightings using the FeralScan App or online at .
