Dead trees removed for safety reasons and replanting

Waipā District Council is removing a number of trees ahead of the next planting season.

The work will take place on Queen St, behind Lakewood in Cambridge and at Moana Roa Reserve.

Plantings of more suitable species will be placed and dead trees will be removed for public safety.

Waipā District Council tree maintenance contractor Treescape will be undertaking the tree removal to make way for planting of more suitable species. Starting on Tuesday, February 15, they will begin to remove some of the pittosporums, poplar and blackwood trees at Moana Roa Reserve.

Acting community services manager Brad Ward said the poplar trees are being removed in stages to allow for succession planting of more appropriate trees for the locations.

“The other trees at Moana Roa have been programmed for removal because they are either commencing to decay and require removal for public safety, or are undesired selfsown species near the highway — some of which have already started to fail.”

The removal of the trees is estimated to take eight days and the boat ramp will remain open with one side of the loop closed off (the topside) for part of the job.

“We have planned the work to be done in a way to minimise disruption to park users but there may be some delays and areas that can’t be used.”

The toilets will remain open for the majority of the time but will be closed at some times when trees nearby are being removed.

Treescape will also be removing two trees, a lombardy poplar on the corner of Queen and Hall streets that is dying and a dead chestnut tree at the top of Lake Te Koo Utu, behind Lakewood.

These two trees are scheduled for removal on Friday, February 25.

A section of Queen St will be closed for the duration of the tree removal, with alternative routes on Alpha and Grey St.

Council will have bat monitoring undertaken during removal for all trees by a bat ecologist as some of the trees could host endangered pekapeka (long-tailed bat). If bats are present, the contractors will work with the ecologist to reprogramme the work or implement mitigations to ensure they aren’t harmed.