Kinloch Park trees to be felled
A beachside Orewa park will be transformed as a number of trees will be removed to make way for a four-storey apartment building on an adjacent property.
Malibu Investments Limited have been granted consent to build a 35-unit building where the Edgewater Motel sits next to Kinloch Reserve, following an independent commissioners hearing.
The consent application in 2015 raised concerns including the building’s height and scale, coastal inundation issues and the amount of protected trees proposed for removal.
Auckland Council resource consent arborist Gavin Donaldson opposed the extent of the tree removal, noting six scheduled and 23 generally protected trees were included. He disagreed with an assessment mitigation planting at the site, and Kinloch Reserve, would fully mitigate the effect of the proposed trees removal over time.
‘‘In my view this is no more than wishful thinking as it is not clear what is meant by ‘over time’, and no assurance can be given that in 20, 30 or 50 years from now the trees planted as ‘mitigation’ will have survived and matured on the site to an extent they are able to replace the visual amenity.’’
However, hearing documents noted when the Unitary Plan came into effect in November following Donaldson’s report, only three trees retained their protected status, of which only one was now proposed for removal.
Neighbouring property owner Peter Simunovich opposed the application saying it failed to detail potential affects to the environment such as shading of his properties, the reserve and beach. Stability of surrounding sites was also a concern due to construction on a sandy substrate in an area subject to coastal inundation.
At the hearing Malibu Investments presented a redesigned development in response to Simunovich’s concerns. Reducing the size of building areas, relocating a fourthstorey portion, and reducing the size of an underground car park to retain the notable tree.
Hearing commissioners noted the retention of trees on the site, and said the removal of 38 large trees from Kinloch Reserve would be mitigated by replanting and overall, the apartments did not generate significant adverse effects for the area.