A 150-signature petition has been handed to Tauranga City Council this morning in an effort to save a pohutukawa tree bordering Ferguson Park in Matua.

Arborists arriving to fell the tree today were met by signs protesting their actions and a neighbour warning them off.

Signs confronting the city arborists today. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The tree is to be felled following a single complaint from an anonymous resident who doesn't live near the tree. The immediate neighbours are opposing to its removal, says resident Jan Fraundorfer.

The endangered tree is one of only three left along the Waratah street side of the park, after four were felled in 2007.

'One protester sat here all day yesterday, put up the signs and collected 150 signatures on the petition,” says Jan.

'All of the people who live along the top there are against it. We think that there's one person who has asked to have it removed but council won't give us that information.

'Everybody else wants the tree to remain, even though they are more directly in front of the tree. Everyone is a bit upset about it because no one was notified until the letters arrived on Thursday.”

It is round two of a tree fight that started in 2007, which resulted in four of the original seven pohutukawa being felled.

The council of the day came to an agreement with four residents to fell the trees immediately affecting them, and leave three in place, says Jan.

They were felled after a complaining landowner invoked a covenant on the land regarding height restrictions on the seven trees between 129 and 139 Waratah Street.

'It's my understanding that those trees would be now protected and not subject to this covenant on the bank,” says Jan.

'But it's one of those remaining trees that the council is chopping down on the strength of what the neighbour has said - that someone can't get a view of the port.

'If it's the house we think it is, they only live there a couple of weeks of the year. They live in Australia, and they also have their name on the original application back in 2007.

'So from what I can see, the council are out of order.”

The tree has a reprieve while the council staff consider their options. Today they were presented with a lawyer's letter in addition to the petition, and Mayor Stuart Crosby, who was party to the original agreements, has also been contacted by the residents.

City arborist Josh Trafford has not returned calls from SunLive, while TCC's Communication advisor has yet to return our calls regarding the matter.

'There's nothing wrong with the tree - it looks pretty,” adds Jan.

'Council has pruned it so you can see through it. All the residents who live there permanently want the tree to stay.

'In January 2007 they wanted to take out all seven of these trees and we had a big protest. They ended up taking four and leaving three.

'Our argument is that they were part of an agreement in January 2007 that these three trees were to be left and pruned.”