Matua residents lose fight to save tree

A pohutukawa tree was being chopped down today at Fergusson park. Photo/John Borren

A native tree at the centre of a heated community petition is today being cut down.

The 22-metre pohutukawa at Fergusson Park was the subject of a 150-signature petition by local residents upset that Tauranga City Council had planned to remove it.

A Pohutukawa tree was being chopped down today at Fergusson park. Photo/John Borren

The council were alerted to the tree, after it breached a height restriction. The council was legally obliged to remove the tree due to a deed of conveyance.

However, the petition forced the issue to be put on hold in Feburary.

Last week, Tauranga City Council decided it did not want to get into an expensive legal battle over a neighbour's legal right to insist that the tree be removed.

Today, arborists were in the process of felling the tree as residents looked on.

In an article last week, Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said that while the removal of the tree disturbed him greatly, the council must uphold covenants.

Referring to an earlier 2007 challenge to seven of the pohutukawa, he said the council had reached an arrangement to retain three of the seven trees, at the goodwill of the residents that had the power to enforce the covenant.

"But that has changed for whatever reason."

Two other trees at the park were being trimmed to allow better views.