It was most enlightening to hear Mayor Phil Goff’s public explanation at the “Adoption of the Tupuna Maunga Authority Operation Plan”, for spending $2,000,000 and destroying 15,000 native trees and bushes at Western Springs.
That TMAO Plan is to destroy even more bird habitat by removing all mature international trees, from all of Auckland’s volcanic cones.
Goff declared in apparent disbelief, “There were people who were opposed to the cutting down of very ancient, and I would suggest the word ‘ugly’ pine trees at Western Springs…haha Councillor Coom…that you wouldn’t expect there to be opposition to, but there is! And people naturally don’t like to see trees cut down.”
So now we know its a ‘beauty contest for trees’ with the Mayor as judge, jury and executioner.
Councillor Hills declared that those against tree removal are “poorly motivated”. He is Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, and Pippa Coom is Deputy.
It seems Goff believes that killing mature trees can be mitigated by planting two million seedlings!! Even primary school children, whose future they’re messing with, know that bigger trees are the more effective. All trees filter impurities from the air but some trees are better than others at removing greenhouse gases. One of he most efficient carbon absorbing trees are pines.
The Mayor, and his cohort Pippa Coom, appear to have no ecological understanding. Nor do they appear to know how carbon sequestration and the conversation of carbon dioxide to oxygen works. Yet Aucklanders are now expected to pay a ‘Targeted Climate Change Rate’ to enable this destruction!
Goff’s suggestion that there is a clear process of consultation since Auckland Council and their Council Controlled Organisations are obliged to do, is correct. They follow this process: 1) they make a decision; 2) they draft a ‘Have Your Say’ multi-choice biased towards that decision; and after going through the motions, 3) they adopt their original decision.
Council then run over budget. No worries because its not their money they’re spending, its yours!
Concerned Ratepayer
#ponsonbynews #goff #pippacoom #westernsprings #climatechange #birdhabitat #treeprotectionNZ