Axe to fall on two pohutukawa
The removal of two pohutukawa trees in east Auckland is causing heartache for local bird lovers.
The large 70-year-old pohutukawa on a private property on Brookfield St in St Heliers are expected to be chopped down this week.
Residents David and Jenifer Inverarity, who lived behind the trees, said they did not want them chopped down because they provided a home for birdlife.
‘‘It’s about the tuis, the birds, the environment,’’ Inverarity said.
In 2015 the Government amended the Resource Management Act, which removed protection of trees urban areas, and limited Auckland Council’s protection to notable or ‘scheduled trees’.
Because the pohutukawa weren’t scheduled the owners could chop the trees down without consent.
‘‘We’re starting to accept we can’t win, but at least we will be able to look the tuis in the eye and say we did our best,’’ Inverarity said.
In June Mayor Phil Goff launched Million Trees, a $3 million programme to plant one million, predominantly native trees in Auckland over the next three years.
The logic behind planting one million more trees and yet providing no safeguards for old natives was questionable, Inverarity said.
Tree Council chairman Sean Freeman said with Auckland facing serious urban intensification large trees would often lose out.
‘‘We need to ensure we don’t allow all of the different trees in our city to be lost,’’ Freeman said.
The owners of the property could not be reached for comment but property manager Grace Wu said the owners were sad for the birds.
However, they would chop the trees down regardless, because they were concerned about ongoing issues with guttering and drainage, Wu said.
The response on social media site Neighbourly.co.nz was mixed.
Kohimarama resident Jose Franco said it should be up to the owner to decide and no one had the right to interfere.
Saint Johns resident Karen Cleary said she hated that trees were being cut down all over Auckland.
‘‘Cities need trees to clean the air, help regulate temperature and mitigate soil erosion,’’ Cleary said.