New fight over native tree in west Auckland

Published: 5:20AM Thursday April 09, 2015 Source: ONE News

Bid to save pohutakawa tree in Huia - Source: Supplied

A new fight over an iconic native tree is brewing between Auckland Council and residents in a small west Auckland township.

On Tuesday the council sent a tree removal contractor to Huia to remove a pohutukawa tree from the foreshore area but left with the specimen still standing after intervention from locals who demanded to see consent paperwork.

One concerned resident briefly climbed the tree but spent a much shorter time on the trunk than activist Michael Tavares's 80-hour stint in nearby Titirangi last month on behalf of a historic kauri.

The council says inspection by arborists show the Huia pohutukawa is badly damaged and needs to be removed as there is a threat to public safety.

"Coastal erosion has exposed a large portion of the tree's root system and undermined at least 50% of the tree's root plate," said Grant Jennings, Manager Local and Sports Parks West.

Jennings said the tree could fall onto a power line, septic system, toilet block and public access areas. That constitutes an "immediate risk" to people and property so resource consent to remove it is not required.

But the council does accept that community interest is high and has now halted any attempt to fell the tree until after a public meeting next week.

The protesting locals - aligned to theHuiaSOS group on Facebook and running anonline petition - are claiming a partial victory, but the group believes the tree's fate is only a portion of a much larger plan to remove the seawall entirely at Huia.

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New fight over native tree in west Auckland