AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

24 August 2007

Old tree gets new protection

A prominent Glendowie pohutukawa was last night protected as a scheduled notable tree under the council’s district plan.

The pohutukawa, located at 17 Peacock Street, Karaka Bay, is the first tree to be scheduled as a notable tree since 1999, when the plan was amended. The tree is estimated to be between 60 and 85 years old, and is a member of a very significant cluster of pohutukawa at this site. Some trees are thought to be 300-400 years old, and are located near where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed locally.

The tree’s protection now means substantial pruning, or activities located within the tree’s drip-zone, will undergo a consent process, reflecting tighter regulations.

“By scheduling this pohutukawa tree, we are ensuring that the heritage value of this tree and its contribution to the wider coastal landscape will be preserved for current and future generations,” Planning and Regulatory Committee chairperson Councillor Glenda Fryer says.

“Scheduling is the most efficient and effective method of achieving the council’s objectives, which seek to recognise and protect particular identified trees, as a valued part of the city’s heritage,” she says.

Seven submissions were made (plan change 211), all in support of the proposed scheduling, reflecting a community awareness of the need for historic tree protection, says Ms Fryer.

ENDS

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