Anzac pines get the chop

Work has begun on felling two pine trees in Anzac Park at Gate Pa after residents successfully petitioned for their removal due to concerns about nearby residents' health.

Tauranga City Council arborists this morning began working on felling the two 6 metre tall Mexican pine trees on the boundary of Cook Street.


Arborists work to remove two pine trees at Anzac Park. Photos: Bruce Barnard.

Tauranga City Council's City Vision committee last month sympathised with the Cook St residents including two pensioners aged in their 80s, whose lives are being steadily overwhelmed by efforts to keep the accumulating pine needles out of the gutters and off the roof.

The trees were also found to block sunshine, contributing to the cold of the pensioner's home, where mould was growing on the outside of the Housing NZ home.

Tauranga City Council arborist Richard Conning says both trees will be removed today. A cherry picker is helping assist arborists in segmenting the tree's before they can be removed.

'They will just be dismantled as we normally would with any other tree in town; there is no real scope to straight fell them,” says Richard.

'I'm not sure if they will get it all removed today. If not it is likely they will come back tomorrow.”

The estimated cost of removing the trees is $4700, and the cost of planting two (native) trees $310.

The trees were planted 60 years ago by the children of the then Tauranga South School. The school was given an opportunity to make a submission regarding the petition, and didn't oppose removing them, but wants the replacements to be natives.

The trees have a life expectancy of 50-100 years with most residents within 200 metres of the trees supporting the removal of them.

Of those polled 21 support removal, four wanted them to stay and one resident was undecided.

The issue had to go to the committee because the council tree management policy doesn't support removing trees because of leaf fall.

You may also like....

4 comments

Trees

Posted on 07-07-2014 19:36 | By blondebabeNZ

They only got to fell one tree today, the kids enjoyed watching the progress and had fun picking up pinecones, sad to see the trees go though. Nice photos too by the photographer.


Good to see

Posted on 07-07-2014 23:33 | By GreertonBoy

Pine trees have their place in plantations, but absolutely no place in suburbia.... they are messy, toxic, their roots ruin pathways and create trip hazards and yes, block gutters which cost elderly home owners heaps to get cleared. Pines are a genuine pest, Planting some nice natives is a great idea, I bet if the children from the school had known how out of control the pines would get back then, they would not be terribly upset to see them removed, especially if they are replaced with suitable sized natives. The birds will be happier too. Good work! Do the country a favour, if you see a pine seedling growing other than in a plantation, give it the chop. Just my opinion


Treeless

Posted on 08-07-2014 09:21 | By whatsinaname

unbelievable. those trees were there when the people purchased there houses. I have an idea. Lets make Tauranga the TREELESS city.


Trees

Posted on 08-07-2014 15:53 | By Capt_Kaveman

and boundarys do not mix, Natives i do support but plant them with a bit of foresight


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.