FRIDAY was a sad day for some Bowral residents when they woke to the sound of chainsaws felling a rare Himalayan Cypress tree on Charlton Close.
The owners of the property containing the tree allegedly had safety concerns over the 30 metre high tree and contacted Wingecarribee Council to carry out an assessment.
"The owner had concerns about the canopy, the root system and the size of the tree and the (assessment) officer agreed with these concerns," a council spokesperson said.
"We don't do these things lightly. The decision was a bit objective but we agreed with the concerns about the canopy and the possibility of branches falling on his house and any nearby houses."
However, not everyone agreed. Neighbour Carl Hilder said the he believed the tree posed no danger and that is was "vandalism" to cut it down.
He said there needed to be a better process in place so that making the decision to cut down a "significant" tree such as this was not just the responsibility of one person at the council.
"That tree has been next to houses for 100 years and there is not a dead branch on it.
"It's the most magnificent tree in the area and this is what Bowral's all about, yet these guys are cutting it down."
The council spokesperson said many of the larger trees in Bowral were planted at a time when the blocks were a lot larger than they are now.
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