The dispute over removing exotic trees from Ōwairaka and the ageing pines from Western Springs Ngahere bring into the foreground the issue of when public trees should be removed, but different cases have different circumstances.
Conflating them is counterproductive and interferes with making good decisions. The question is being asked–how can we remove trees when there’s a climate crisis?
Most of us acknowledge that not removing trees and planting new ones is at the forefront of our response to Climate Change (alongside getting out of our cars and reducing our dairy herd). But there are several different cases of proposed or actual tree removal that get conflated together despite being fundamentally different issues. Always at the core, however, is the ‘hypocritical Council’ responsible for the damage.
I believe we all strongly wish that the number of trees being removed should be reduced. I have fought to save trees with the Western Springs Pohutukawa Savers group, I have planted around 35 trees on my own property, and I’ve worked with Council to get them planted in the streets in which I live - but I believe there will always be some trees that need to be removed for a range of reasons, and a blanket ‘don’t cut down any tree at all’ response is not practical or ideal.
Set in a context of a massive tree planting programme Council is undertaking, removing a few trees here and there will not make a big difference to our climate change response, especially when the huge number of trees our forest industry cuts down every day is considered.
While we have seen our canopy cover reduced in recent years, almost all is down to private homeowners taking advantage of the removal of tree protections by the Key-led National government. Council, notably led by City Vision elected members, is now leading on pressuring the current Labour government to change the tree removal provisions in the Resource Management Act, giving councils back greater control over which trees can be removed.
The Western Springs Forest is the most recent example of the contentiousness of the issue. There is clear agreement that the pines were dead or nearly dead. There is clear agreement that around quarter needed to be removed as immediate threats, with about another quarter approaching this stage, the balance being safe for a while longer.
I walked the path, illegally, before the start of the tree removal itself. It was beautiful - a serene and spiritual experience, with the soaring canopy of the pines so high it was like walking through a natural cathedral. I can understand the desire of protestors to protect this beautiful forested area and, while I lament their loss, the fact is they were dead or near it.
There was no question the trees were coming out – either in one action, or over several years. Board members had to weigh up the risk to the public and their responsibilities around sound fiscal management, with a protracted removal but with less damage to the undergrowth, versus the damage caused by removing them in one go. With conflicting advice, they made a choice.
There are those who are intransigent in their beliefs that the Board made the wrong one and are distraught at the damaging removal technique, but there are many in the community who are pleased at the removal of ‘very tall weeds’, as I saw someone comment.
The damaged undergrowth is being replanted, the creek cleaned up, and now that the danger from the pines has been removed, the Zoo can get back into the forest to undertake pest control, which I understand has become near plague proportions.
Even the venerable John Elliot, who has recently been very vocal in his despair at the damage done, in previewing the proposals for Western Springs once reminded opponents of the success of Tiritiri Matangi Island – previously a grass and weed covered rock, now a true native forest full of native fauna - and in less than the 50-year timeframe Council has given itself for Western Springs to recover.
The other major tree controversy concerns the Tūpuna Maunga Authority plans for the Auckland volcanic peaks: to remove exotic and pest trees and replant in natives. There are two positions amongst those opposing these plans, no trees should be removed at all, or yes, remove them, but plant seedlings under the existing trees to enable their growth before removing the exotics.
On the one hand, there is the issue of method of removal and replanting, which is similar in some ways to the Western Springs Forest controversy. Once again, the advice I have seen is that planting trees under the existing canopy will make it more difficult for the plantings to thrive and put them at more risk of damage when the exotics are removed - even by helicopter.
However, I believe this is a moot point. The fact is that local iwi own the Maunga and it is their choice as to what to do with their own property. In fact, it is perfectly within their rights to remove the trees and build housing for their people should they so choose, but instead they agreed in the Tamaki Settlement to make the Maunga available for all citizens of Tamaki Makaurau to use and enjoy for the enjoyment of green space and recreation. That gift of access does not carry the ability to decide what happens on the Maunga.
Once again, the example of what can be achieved is Tiritiri Matangi island. Imagine oases of stunning native forest stands dotted across our city. I may not live to see its full realisation, but this vision from Iwi is a magnificent one and testament to their generosity towards our city, and the arrogance and belligerence of opponents has been staggering. Despite denials, the opposition to these plans are rooted in an archaic, racist attitude that Pākeha know best for Māori.
I celebrate protests against decisions made by a council that can be wrong and inefficient, but at some stage, those protests cross over from being constructive to being obstructionist. There comes a point where fighting against any change at all is more damaging than the imperfect changes being made.
The principle of replacing exotic trees with natives should be encouraged, because in following that path there is a marvellous future - an urban ngahere full of natives nurturing our indigenous fauna. This is the future I want to see realised, not the retention of an archaic colonist ideal. (MARK GRAHAM)
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Published 3 September 2021