The Tree Council is appalled that the Government has refused to grant an exemption to Auckland Council to allow them to continue with Plan Change 113 that was intended to add more significant trees to the Notable Trees Schedule 10 of the Unitary Plan.

Plan Change 113 was officially withdrawn in full on Friday 12 December 2025.

PC113 sought to provide greater protection to trees that had been identified as having significant historical, botanical or amenity values. It proposed adding 174 new individual trees and 29 new groups of trees to the Auckland Unitary Plan’s Notable Trees Schedule (Schedule 10). Many of these trees were nominated by The Tree Council, requiring years of volunteer work across the city to find, assess and nominate them to Auckland Council.

Auckland Council was required to withdraw PC113 because the Government introduced new legislation on 20 August 2025 that stopped all plan changes unless they were exempted.

Auckland Council applied to the Minister for an exemption to continue PC113. However, by letter dated 28 November 2025, the Minister declined Auckland Council’s application. As the Minister has declined the Council’s application for an exemption, section 80X(1) of the RMA requires the Council to withdraw PC113 within 10 working days after receiving the Minister’s decision and to comply with section 80R.

This plan change has been at least three years in the making and will have taken thousands of hours of officer time to prepare, all paid for by ratepayers. The irony that this Government claims to be amending legislation to reduce red tape and regulatory costs while actually costing councils across the country hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasted &/or repeated work is not lost on us.

The trees that would have been protected by this plan change will now be at huge risk of removal due to development pressures, as large trees take up space and space is valuable in our intensifying city. Failing to protect these significant natural heritage assets for future generations is irresponsible, short sighted and a dereliction of duty in terms of providing quality of life for urban residents of the future. These trees can never be replaced.

The Notable Trees Schedule represents the “best of the best” trees in Auckland. Not only has this plan change been withdrawn, but the entire schedule is at risk due to the proposed new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act that was introduced this week. It is likely that almost any form of tree protection on private land will be impossible under this new proposed regulatory regime.

The Tree Council urges all those who care about having a quality urban lifestyle that includes the protection of trees on private land to make submissions on the draft Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill when these open over the Christmas break.

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