In this week’s edition

Wilful act of vandalism cuts short the life of much-loved ‘Lloyd’s tree’

I've never been a good environmentalist but this week, someone must speak for the trees. In particular Lloyd's tree. Lloyd lived in Tamamutu St, near the roundabout with Rifle Range Rd, until he died about four years ago. His wife still lives there and until recently, she only had to look out the window to see the blossoms all over “Lloyd's tree” to be reminded of her late husband.

You see, about six or seven years ago, Lloyd saved the tree from calamity after a water main burst and flooded out the roots. For him, this was not just another municipal plant on a roadside verge.

Lloyd's wife was not keen to make a fuss, but her neighbour sent us a message in the Thumbs column below, and was happy to expand on the tale.

While police, fire and emergency and contractors attended to the carnage of the burst pipe, Lloyd became concerned about “his” little tree out the front.

“As well as water everywhere, all the earth from around the tree disappeared creating a hole and exposing all the roots,” the neighbour explains.

“Lloyd was fond of this — thenlittle tree — and for the next few weeks while the road was dug up and the pipes fixed and the hole refilled, he would go out every day to water and tend to it. It grew into a lovely shady blossom tree.

Until Saturday, November 5 at 3am in the morning, when a man arrived in an old blue Toyota Corolla, and chopped Lloyd's tree down with a chainsaw.

“We don't know why this person took against the tree to the extent of coming around in the wee hours with his chainsaw, but if it was the branches then my neighbour would have happily have had them trimmed.

“Personally I hadn't noticed them being annoying . . . It's a mystery,” the neighbour says.

Taupō District Council district parks manager Greg Hadley is aware of the latest act of vandalism. “There have been ongoing random acts of wilful damage to street and reserve trees district-wide.”

He said council compliance officers will investigate complaints of damage to trees on council land or trees and vegetation that are formally protected under council provisions. “Enforcement and reparation will be sought by the council where persons responsible are identified.”

Wilful damage to trees is an offence under the Public Places Bylaw 2021, and carries a fine of up to $20,000.

Hadley says a “suitable replacement” will be found for Lloyd's tree.