I wonder if the fines are enough, assuming they find the people? I've heard that it's cheaper or more profitable to just accept the fines.
Councils can issue a maximum on-the-spot fine of $3,000 for illegal tree removals by individuals, or $6,000 for businesses. Mr Wrightson said the council was getting legal advice about the best course of action, which could include seeking penalties of up to $1 million through a prosecution in the NSW Land and Environment Court.
300 tress x $6000 = $1.8million
That's big if you chopped the trees for one house, but what if you chopped them for 10? Perhaps you would still get more than $180,000 extra each if they had better views?
I don't understand; why do this? If someone gains a "better" view, then isn't it blindingly obvious who cut them down?
That's probably not enough to hold up in court. They could be getting framed by a competitor builder. The trees might have been accidentally cut (eg a contractor misinterpreting the location). All sorts of things.
You don't accidentally chop down 300 trees in the middle of the night, let alone without a single person seeing or hearing a thing.
Sue them all and let God sort them out.
I don't know much about Aussie evidentiary standards but in murrican, that argument alone wouldn't get you beyond reasonable doubt