Does climate change kill Norfolk Island pines on the Australian waterfront? – Watt?

Eric Worrall's paper

Tip – They are blocking the view.

Extreme weather and deliberate destruction hits the seaside Norfolk Island Pine Trees

in short:

Norfolk Island Pines have become a feature of Australia's coastline, but are risky due to many factors.

A Gold Coast researcher said fungi and urban pressure from bad weather are infecting pine trees throughout the city.

What's next?

One horticulturalist said he was more worried about the view that trees were cut down or poisoned for residents.

…

One of the reasons for tree health is an annoying fungus Botryosphereiaceae family.

Ms. Petrova said it flourished in arid environment and spread through the pine population of Burlethead during the 2018-2019 drought.

…

Ms. Petrova said that climate change, including drought, could increase fungal growth due to climate change.

…

He said he was increasingly summoned by intentionally poisoned pine trees.

“We're talking about 60 to 80 trees at one time, and there are huge beach fronts everywhere in Sydney's port,” Walley said.

…

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-26/extreme-weather-vandalism-vandalism-impact-norfolk-island-island-pine-trees/104949926

Norfolk Island Pine is an evolutionary cousin of hoop pine, a tropical weather tree that grows to huge heights in poor salty beach soil. They have the ability to go from the cold southern tip of Australia to the far north tip. They also grow in Hawaii and other warm weather locations.

Local governments like them because their strong root structure stabilizes the beach.

Million dollar waterfront property owners don’t have that many – because in many cases the beautiful views you fall in love with are overshadowed by the Tree Hug Committee, they seem to think taller is better.

They are beautiful trees – tall, with lots of shadows, and a soft pine needle that each tree offers, the great home of Australian beautiful songbirds, and places for young people who want some privacy. The trees are elastic – they don't mind being painted to keep the height down.

But over the past few decades, local governments in Australia seem to have forgotten part of the social contract, today’s seaside trees, now cross many of Australia’s favorite swimming attractions.

Even in my area, the trees were poisoned.

Solve this is a difficult crime. In many cases, it may be difficult to detect – clever tree killers do not drill holes in the tree, they will sprinkle a pile of available heavy metal sulfate poisons, reacting with the salt on the ground to form almost salt-insoluble chlorides, a chemical that causes higher drugs in salt due to insoluble in salt, thus causing higher hazards in higher hazards, as it causes higher hazards, as it causes, and the danger that causes apparently dies from natural death, loss of its leaves and succumb to fungal infections. For tree killers, the residual poison in the soil will also kill anything local governments replace the dead tree.

I wonder if I just solved this mystery? Maybe it's not climate change after all.

Related