One out of six Wellington olive trees spared from the axe after consultation

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A French Verdale olive tree on Elizabeth St will face the chop as part of Wellington City Council’s street improvement plans instead of all six.

JUAN ZARAMA PERINI/Stuff

A French Verdale olive tree on Elizabeth St will face the chop as part of Wellington City Council’s street improvement plans instead of all six.

Just one of the six olive trees on a central Wellington street that produces award-winning oil has been saved from the axe as part of the city council’s street improvement plans

The Wellington City Council initially proposed cutting down 24 trees on Elizabeth St in Mt Victoria in April, including six French Verdale olive trees, and replacing them with deciduous trees such as London plane​ trees and magnolias.

But the council said on Monday that after feedback from residents that number would be reduced to 22, sparing one of the olive trees.

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The replacement trees will be in tree pits and will include medium-sized fruiting olive trees, large-sized ash trees and small Michelia yunnanensis.

The oil produced from the tree’s olives by a local community group had won prizes overseas, including a gold medal at the LA County Fair in California in 2005, and was called “one of the best olive oils he [had] tasted” by Kāpiti Olives co-owner Graeme Harris in 2004.

The city council previously said it had received 75 complaints since 2019 related to the trees for tripping hazards and uneven footpaths. The olive trees were popular with locals and were used to produce small amounts of olive oil for the community, they were no longer “fit for purpose”, and relocating existing trees were not viable.

The olives on the Elizabeth St olive trees have produced award-winning oil.

JUAN ZARAMA PERINI/Stuff

The olives on the Elizabeth St olive trees have produced award-winning oil.

Council officials also decided to drop the number of coupon car parks on Elizabeth St slated for the chopping block from an initial 21 to one after the consultation.

The intersection at Austin St will be raised, kerbs will be replaced and the footpath is resurfaced as part of the improvement plans.

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