The New Zealand World War One Memorial Forest project has taken another step forward with a $5,000 grant from Mercury Bay Community Board.

Made available from the board's discretionary fund, the grant will be used to create 2,779 small, white wooden crosses for the paddock on Public Conservation Land above Cathedral Cove.

The Mercury Bay Community Board has made a grant of $5,000 towards the New Zealand World War One Memorial Forest to be planted at sites across the Coromandel. Photo: File

Planting of the 18,166 trees for the Memorial Forest to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died in WWI will begin this year.

The paddock is one of several sites across the Coromandel where tree will be planted, and each site will represent a major battle or campaign in which New Zealand forces took part in.

Mercury Bay Community Board chairperson Paul Kelly says this Cathedral Cove site will represent the Gallipoli campaign.

'We're very happy on the Community Board to be a part of this great project paying tribute to those New Zealanders who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.

'The Memorial Forest is something the whole Coromandel community can take part in, whether it's by volunteering to help plant trees over the next few years or by buying a tree to be planted.

'A cross for each of these soldiers will be placed in a cluster at the site to serve as a visible reminder of the battle's toll while the young trees take root and grow.”

Students from Mercury Bay Area School will get involved by building the crosses, with wood to be sourced from a local provider.

Final decisions on other sites for the Memorial Forest are yet to be made, but at this stage it is proposed that the Battle of Passchendaele be remembered at the new Whitianga Cemetery.

While the Thames War Memorial would honour the Battle of Messines Ridge, as well as a separate site on the entrance to Thames to specifically remember the war dead from the town.

Other sites will be the Tangitarori Lane walkway from Pauanui-Hikuai which will honour the Palestine campaign, and the Battle of Le Quesnoy at Whangamata.

Other sites are still under investigation for the remaining battles to be commemorated.

In late January, council officially endorsed the Memorial Forest project, agreeing to act as underwriter for the estimated $452,000 cost of the forest project over the next 10 years.

Costs are to be recouped from grants from external agencies and from sale of the trees to the public.

The project, which is also known as ‘Te Wao Whakamaumaharatanga' (the Forest of Memories), will commence with initial planting on Anzac Day this year.

There will also be a push for more intensive planting with schools and volunteer groups in the autumn months.

On average 6,000 trees will need to be planted each year, with the forests completed by Armistice Day which occurs on November 11, 2018.

Each tree will be numbered and plotted on GPS, and members of the public will be able to purchase a tree for $100, which they can locate and visit to honour a fallen soldier.

We will be looking for at least 3,000 people to purchase a tree in order to meet funding targets, but will welcome as many purchasers as are willing to come forward.

The project will see contractors undertaking initial site preparation such as digging the holes and staking, numbering and plotting GPS for each site, with volunteers doing the initial planting and maintenance.

To ensure long-term care, contractors will be working with volunteer groups to look after each tree.

The council is working with a variety of agencies including Department of Conservation, Waikato Regional Council, Forest and Bird, kauri 2000 and local RSAs.

Other groups and agencies are very welcome to get on board the project.

To get involved contact Economic Development Programme Manager Ben Dunbar-Smith on 07-868-0200 or email [email protected]

For more information or to register for a tree visit www.tcdc.govt.nz/ww1memorialforest