Terrible weather used as a reason to vandalise our trees

While our District was hit with extreme weather in the past week, some used the conditions as an opportunity to vandalise trees on public reserves.

"We received a call from a customer about trees being blown over in our Buffalo Beach Reserve, in Whitianga, however when we checked it out it was clear to see that it had been cut down," says Andrew Scobie, Acting Area Manager for Mercury Bay.

"Our local arborist informs us that the damage was done will a handsaw and the vandal has tried to make it look like they were damaged in the storm," says Mr Scobie. "It's extremely saddening to see such a wilful act of vandalism."

In the past few months our Council has been finding more incidents of trees being destroyed or poisoned. For example, in Wyuna Bay someone has cut down three native manuka trees in our reserve next to the walkway and also earlier this year a 30-year-old Norfolk pine was poisoned on Buffalo Beach.

A complaint of wilful damage has been lodged with the police in this latest case during the storm.

"We want to make it clear such behaviour is not going to be ignored," says Mr Scobie.

The Coromandel is one of the most scenic areas in New Zealand due to its dramatic topography and coastline, its native forests, and its relaxed coastal settlements. Trees are an essential element of this character.

What are the options for trees on council land?

Depending on the tree, species, location and age there are a few things that can be done:

Deadwooding: Most trees are self-pruning and dead wood will drop from the trees, but this does not happen all at once, so by removing wood that is dead, we can improve the health of the tree, let more light through the canopy and possibly improve views.

Crown thinning: This is like deadwooding, but also includes the removal of live wood as well. This may include the removal of branches that have not formed well, may be rubbing against each other, or may be inherently weak. The benefits or the side effects can be similar to deadwooding.

Crown lifting: This is where the canopy is trimmed to lift it higher. This can be done for many reasons, including public safety; for example, if a tree has branches over a footpath at head height there's a risk of injury.

Power lines clearance: This is generally escalated to Powerco's contractors who need to undertake the work due to the hazardous nature of working near live power cables.

If the tree is dead or believed to be threatening life, property or essential services: A council officer will visit the site. The advice of an independent arborist may be sought if the officer believes there is no threat or if there may be objections from other parties to council action about the tree.

We also have a list of protected trees in the district, which are also called notable trees. Notable Tree means any tree listed in our Heritage Register in the District Plan, some are protected because of their historical significance, age, or cultural value. Others, like coastal Pohutukawa trees, preserve the ecosystem around them by preventing erosion. For maintenance of these trees, our District Plan specifies that you must use a "Council Approved Contractor" to do this sort of work.

Contact our Customer Service team on 07 868 0200 or customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz to talk about trees or launch a request for service on council's website: www.tcdc.govt.nz/rfs.

© Scoop Media