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Auckland Council is investigating more protected pōhutukawa that have been needlessly cut down or severely pruned in recent days.
At Home Bay Beach, a well-to-do neighbourhood near Herne Bay in central Auckland, three coastal pōhutukawa had 80% of their canopy removed, likely illegally, on Valentine’s Day – after Cyclone Gabrielle hit the city the day before. The trees are now down in the water, causing a hazard.
According to a neighbour, at least one property overlooking where trees were would now have an “unencumbered view”.
Council arborist and ecological manager David Stejskal confirmed the trees concerned are protected under council bylaws, and is actively investigating.
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“Remedial works will be required as we now have debris in the water along with severely pruned trees,” Stejskal said.
He said it doesn’t appear so far that the trees needed to come down because they were liable to cause damage or harm.
“The ongoing investigation will help us understand the situation better.”
Jonathan Mower/Supplied
Pōhutukawa felled at Home Bay were dumped onto a concrete stormwater pipe and at the shoreline.
Neighbour Jonathan Mower said he knew straight away when he saw the trees lying on the beach that something wasn’t right.
“It’s unmistakeable,” he said.
When he reported it to Auckland Council, someone called him barely an hour later to confirm the situation.
He said if a stormwater pipe beneath the tree was damaged and Auckland was subjected to another deluge like the Auckland Anniversary rains, the pipe would suffer.
”Will they put their hand up and say, ‘Oopsie daisy, that was me. Here’s my credit card, you can pay for that on me’?”
Jonathan Mower/Supplied
The roughly hewn stumps are “unmistakeable” evidence the trees didn’t need to come down, Jonathan Mower said.
Mower was loath to suggest why the trees had been brought down.
But, knowing the neighbourhood, he said the owners of a nearby property in Herne Bay would now have an “unfettered, unencumbered view” out to West Auckland, Upper Harbour and the North Shore.
The homeowner has been approached for comment.
“You just don’t do that,” Mower said.
“It’s not right, we’ve all got to look with a view of kaitiaki, we’ve got to take care of things, otherwise what will people’s kids inherit?
“We want them to inherit a city with a living landscape, not a fricken wasteland.”
The investigations come after Stuff revealed a large pōhutukawa above the Parnell Baths in Judges Bay was illegally hacked down and made to look like it came down in a slip.
Auckland Council is investigating here too.
Arborists working on the site have confirmed to Stuff that the pile of logs “grew” overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday – not all of them weather casualties.
“I can confirm – it is suspect,” council contracted arborist Dale Thomas said of the situation.
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