Heritage-listed King George Avenue V trees wrecked in 'devastating' car attack

King George V Avenue Working Committee member David McKinnon said three of the four-year-old trees were wrecked after a car drove over them on Friday night.

"Looking at the damage of the trees, there's so much bark missing that it's likely we're going to have to start again with those ones," he said.

"There is no tyre marks or brake marks or skid marks anywhere near the trees that would indicate an accident, so clearly it's been a complete drive-over."

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The committee of green thumbs has spent eight years trying to restore the King George V Avenue of Memorial English Oaks, a heritage-listed stand of 100 oak trees planted on 1936 on what was once the main northern entrance to Tamworth.

Mr McKinnon said the committee had spent years nursing the trees through severe drought and they had just started to grow vigorously.

He said the area had been targeted for vandalism five times, but the Friday night attack was the worst so far.

"This is the worst because they're quite advanced trees and they're going to take a long time to replace to that height and age..." he said.

"After eight years of struggling, suddenly to have this basically wanton destruction activity, You can't make sense of it easily."

Committee member Stephen Warden said two of the three trees could be saved if Tamworth council took action immediately, but one was probably doomed.

In their spree, the motorist drove over star pickets, wrecked water retention poles, and knocked down caged guards, he said.

"I spent my whole life in agriculture. Driving over star pickets like this is the most dangerous thing you can do... it was very very dangerous what they did," he said.

Manager of sports and recreation Paul Kelly said the Tamworth Regional Council was "frustrated" and "disappointed that a number of trees have been subject to vandalism."

"Council has been working particularly hard alongside the King George V Avenue Working Group over the last 12 to 18 months to ensure that this State Heritage site is maintained and cared for," he said.

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"We will have staff on site in the coming days to assess the damage, and will be working to identify those responsible and hold them to account. We remain committed to protecting and preserving this community asset."

The avenue's listing on the NSW Heritage Register praises its distinctive "cathedral or tunnel-like" grove of oaks.

"It is also one of the longest avenues in NSW, being two kilometres long," the listing says.

"Being the only avenue of oak trees planted in NSW, the avenue is aesthetically distinctive and has unique landmark qualities."

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