By SARAH STEWART
A cottonwood poplar tree is standing in the way of expansion for an Otahuhu primary school bursting at the seams.
St Joseph's School, which has 328 pupils, has applied for a resource consent to remove the tree to make way for a new classroom.
The Auckland City Council initially told the school its application - necessary for exotic trees over 8m - was likely to be declined after council arborist Gerard Mostert found the tree was structurally sound.
But an arborist the school hired said the tree was brittle and potentially dangerous.
Yesterday, the council called in a third, independent aborist to assess the 40m tree.
The MP for Maungakiekie, Mark Gosche, said that if the council did not grant consent, St Joseph's might have to build the classroom on the playground.
Schools in Otahuhu had tremendous pressure on space, and the situation was utterly ridiculous, he said.
"If the tree had some significance, we could understand, but it's a grotty old poplar tree ... which the community are meant to be in love with. It's bizarre."
Arborist Neil Dobson, who assessed the tree for the school, said the 70- to 80-year-old poplar should be removed. Several branches which had snapped off in recent storms were still hanging in the tree.
"They would give out a nasty crack on the head ... It's a bit of a worry with kids playing under it."
Neighbour Mark Price has agreed to share the cost of removing the tree.
Mr Price said a quarter of the tree's branches were overhanging his property. In the past falling branches had damaged his guttering and clipped a friend on the arm.
"Apparently the council says, 'No, we like trees and we're not listening'."
The council's Eastern Bays and Penrose team coordinator, Karen Long, said council arborists could not see anything "majorly unsound," but yesterday's assessment would be more detailed.
Under the district plan, several factors were assessed in deciding to remove a tree, including the need for the building site, she said.
"There's a large emphasis on how the tree contributes to the amenity of the neighbourhood, both in visual and physical aspects."
The tree could be removed if the need to avoid damage to property or injury to a person outweighed its visual amenity.
Old tree stands in way of a new classroom
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