May 3, 2001

Hundreds of people are expected to turn out for the first tree planting of Auckland City’s winter volunteer programme this Sunday.
About 6000 native trees will be planted on Hamlins Hill in Mt Wellington, between 9.30am and 4pm.

The chairperson of the council’s recreation and events committee, Councillor Scott Milne, says, “This is a great opportunity for people to make a difference by planting a tree or two. Auckland City acknowledges the huge part that volunteers play in caring for and improving the environment – the council is particularly grateful for their time and effort.

“Trees not only improve the visual beauty of our urban parks, they also help remove pollutants from the air. These volunteers are helping in our long-term plan to make Auckland a better place in which to live.”

People are invited to bring a spade, and wear warm clothing and sturdy shoes. The meeting place is the Tetra Pak carpark in Pacific Rise.

The winter volunteer programme involves community and coastal plantings, clean-ups and working bees throughout Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf, from May to September.

The Auckland Regional Council and city council will provide drinks and a sausage sizzle at each event and if people register as parks volunteers on the day, they go in the draw to win Living Parks T-shirts and native trees for their gardens.

Hamlins Hill is a 48-hectare non-volcanic hill wedged in a triangle between Sylvia Park Rd, Great South Rd and the Mt Wellington motorway interchange.

It will become a One Tree Hill-style park with a range of activities under a joint management plan between the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Council.

People will be able to use the hill for walking, jogging and orienteering, cycling and mountain biking. It will also have children’s play areas and places for people to play informal ball games, do fitness training and have picnics.

Now known as Mutukaroa-Hamlins Hill, the site is one of few large open spaces in Auckland City, which owns it jointly with the Crown. The Crown-owned portion is leased to the Mutukaroa Management Trust, which subleases the land to the Auckland Regional Council.

It was the site of the largest non-fortified pre-European Maori settlement in the Auckland area. Archaeological features on the land display the remnants of agricultural practices brought here by early European settlers.

The park, which has historic stone walls and hawthorn hedges, has cattle grazing on its upper slopes and two Watercare reservoirs on the summit.

ENDS

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