Favourite Esplanade flowering gum dies
Tree a spot dinghys often left tied to
Atree that had become a popular place to secure dinghys on the foreshore along the Esplanade at Omokoroa, has died.
The species is an Australian flowering gum tree which some people may have mistaken for a pohutukawa tree. There are pohutukawa trees planted closer to the Omokoroa Boat Club and towards the no exit end of the Esplanade.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council had an arborist inspect the tree and the report confirmed that the tree died of natural causes. Council reserves staff say the tree itself is old and also has a small amount of borer damage which, now that it has died, will speed up decay, making the tree unstable in the long-term and not safe to be left as an anchor for dinghys.
Council has been looking for the owners of the dinghys tied to the bottom of the tree as they don’t want to damage them or risk any being stolen when the tree is removed. Only one dinghy owner is yet to be located. Please get in touch with council on 571-8008 if you know the owner.
A sign will go up by the tree this week telling people of the trees pending removal and why.
People are asked not to tether their dinghys to the tree any more.