Editorial: Cities need green spaces

Gail McIntosh

Avenues residents who fought a council proposal to sell off a city greenbelt had a victory this week after the plan was shelved.

The council overwhelmingly agreed to retain eight greenbelt properties along Takitimu Drive, despite a plea from councillor Gail McIntosh for proof of the reasons not to sell.

She took issue with the wording of the recommendation to retain the properties on the basis that the costs of progressing the sales outweighed the potential benefits.

Applause from Avenues residents in the public gallery greeted the vote to not go through with the sale.

While the sale would have been a welcome boost to the city's coffers, it would, in my view, have detracted from the cityscape.

Yes, the prospect of removing the trees to make way for houses may have impact on neighbouring residents' views but much more was at stake.

Parkland adds character to a city and a sense of history.

It provides a place for children to explore, for people to walk their dogs and joggers to exercise in pleasant surroundings. And if native trees are planted, it can also serve as a sanctuary for native birds.

As this paper has noted before, in larger cities worldwide, much older than Tauranga, there are established tree-lined suburbs hundreds of years old. So what price do you put on areas that add to a city's character and enhance the natural environment? They are often the difference between an appealing landscape and suburban sprawl.

Our city is growing rapidly. This is reflected in the growing number of consents issued each month for building work around the city.

Green spaces tend to disappear as cities grow and that is why they need to be saved.

Good on the residents who fought to protect the greenbelt properties along Takitimu Drive and helped persuade the council to change its mind.