Out with exotics in town belt

Wellington’s skyline is slowly changing as large, exotic trees in the town belt are replaced with native species.

While a target of covering 65 per cent of the greenway in native vegetation has been set, Wellington City Council arboriculture team manger William Melville says iconic stands of pines and macrocarpa trees aren’t likely to to disappear overnight.

Replanting operations have been in place for some time and they hoped to achieve their target by 2065 – in staged removals and by taking advantage of natural attrition.

Melville said most Wellingtonians were in favour of promoting indigenous flora in the popular recreation area and this was reflected in the Wellington Town Belt Management Plan.

While there was a desire to restore native vegetation, clearfelling the large stands of mature exotic trees was not an option for the city council, Melville said.

They played an important role in lessening the impact of rain run-off and erosion, and provided attractive conditions for recreational users.

‘‘They provide shade and, for groups like mountainbikers, pines tend to keep the floor clear [of other vegetation].’’

Many of the exotic trees had been planted between 1920 and 1940, though some had been planted in the 19th century and would be retained for their heritage value.

The trees also provided large perching areas for native birds that also nested in the branches and hollows.

Eventually, the plan was to restore much of the town belt to a ‘‘native ecosystem’’ that would support indigenous animals.