Beloved street tree gets the chop
A tree in the middle of a battle between four kids and the council has been chopped down.
The liquid amber on Kendon St, in Blenheim, caused a stir after the council announced plans to remove the deciduous.
The 20-year-old street tree sat outside the Radovanovich family home and the four children rallied to see the tree stay put.
The girls, who range in age from 6 to 11, made picket signs and swept leaves in an effort to reverse the removal order.
Mother Lisa Nicholas-Radovanovich said it was sad to see the tree taken down by Nelmac on Tuesday morning.
‘‘I’m grateful it wasn’t taken down during the school holidays because the girls might have been a little peeved off,’’ she said.
The Marlborough District Council announced earlier in the month the street tree had to go as its roots were interrupting underground services and cracking footpaths.
A council representative met with the family to explain that the area was too small for a tree of its size.
A council spokeswoman said they were usually the protector of trees but this case required action.
‘‘As the tree is still young the footpath and kerb will constantly be damaged if it’s left there,’’ she said.
Nicholas-Radovanovich had hoped to prune the tree and grind away the concrete footpath, but understood the council perspective.
‘‘I appreciate that it is in the wrong place, but it’s quite sad,’’ she said.
The Radovanovich girls went to Kaipupu Point, near Shakespeare Bay, to help plant trees with Conservation Kids last month.
It made it more difficult to see a tree in front of their property being chopped down, Nicholas-Radovanovich said.
Smaller replacement trees in Kendon St were scheduled to be planted this spring, the council spokeswoman said.