As huge Norfolk pine trees were felled at Palm Beach and Bungan Beach this week, several councils told Fairfax Media they had not been asked to supply current maps of their bushfire-prone areas and bushfire plans to the Rural Fire Service, to use when drawing up the areas that would be subject to the new 10/50 vegetation clearing laws.

The RFS has rejected the criticisms, saying "it is the responsibility of councils" to provide up-to-date information.

"The 10/50 Entitlement Area is based on current Bushfire Prone Area Maps, which are drawn up by local councils and submitted to the NSW RFS for certification," an RFS spokeswoman said.

It has also been revealed that there is no overarching map available to the public or councils to view the relevant 10/50 areas.

In an answer to a question in the NSW Parliament, the RFS said the only way to check what was in the 10/50 zone was by looking at individual addresses with the RFS online tool – but it only contains addresses recognised by Google.

"The RFS is currently working with a number of councils to take into account some of the unintended consequences of the legislation, particularly issues surrounding smaller parcels of bushfire prone land in urban areas," the RFS said.

Greens MP David Shoebridge put a question on notice in Parliament asking if the RFS had a "reliable database of bushfire-prone land".

Mr Shoebridge said it was becoming increasingly clear neither the government or the RFA had any clear idea how extensive the 10/50 bushfire zones were.

"To come up with the clearing zones, the government has just plugged some information into a Google widget and hoped for the best," said Mr Shoebridge.

The new laws, which came into effect last month, allow people who live within 350 metres of a designated bushfire-prone area to clear trees on their property within 10 metres of a home without seeking approval.

Shrubs can also be removed within 50 metres of a home – and the laws make no distinction between bushland and urban areas.

Complaints are mounting that trees have been culled to improve views and development potential rather than to reduce bushfire risk. Residents have also complained that high-density shopping areas including along the Pacific Highway have been deemed to be bushfire-prone areas.

Pittwater Council was last week sent photos of mature Norfolk pine trees being chopped down along the popular Barranjoey Road at Palm Beach and at Bungan Beach.

Pittwater mayor Jacqueline Townsend said the council had written to the state government seeking an urgent review of the 10/50 legislation and had provided a series of recommended amendments.

"Recent examples of tree removals under the 10/50 are clearly highlighting that there needs to be urgent intervention to attain a more reasonable balance between bushfire risk and the environment. Mature trees that clearly do not pose a bushfire risk are being systematically culled under this legislation," Ms Townsend said.

Erina Council passed an urgent motion and has written to the state government calling for a moratorium on the new laws as trees continue to be felled.

Treeloppers in the area have reportedly been telling householders to make the most of the laws because almost "the entire Central Coast region" is a 10/50 area.

"We went out and came home and the trees behind us were gone – no advice or discussion, no concern for any birdlife, said one Erina resident.

"We knew the developer wanted the trees gone purely for cosmetic reasons," he said.

"But we wanted them to stay because they provided us with privacy, a windbreak and protection from the hot western sun."