I've always been suspicious of people who do not like trees. What's not to love?
Their ancient splendour adds gravity to our relatively new city. As someone who grew up to the sounds of sirens and the squeal of braking buses, awaking to a soundtrack of birdsong is a pleasureI treasure. Trees are beautiful natural landscaping. They are crucial shade in our region which has some of the highest levels of skin cancers. A city's tree stock needs careful management. It is the responsibility of local council to set policies not just for proper tree maintenance but also plan for a tree-lined future. Imagine, say, Cambridge, without its trees.
To date, the fate of some trees has been precariously in the hands of Tauranga City Council's tree management sub-committee. In the last year we have lost silver birches in Cherrywood, a silk tree in Harvey St, pines in Papamoa, Pohutakawa on Marine Parade and a parklike area in Bureta will be butchered next door to the new Countdown supermarket.
Today the council is asking for public feedback on a new Vegetation and Tree Management Policy. John Cousins reported yesterday that new rules could end years of Tauranga City Council politicians ordering trees to be felled against the advice of staff.
On the one hand it is good news if, as it says it "recognises the importance of conserving significant groups of trees as well as stand-alone trees as a way to safeguard neighbourhood character".
But when it says there will be more consideration of social wellbeing and a balance between the public benefit of high-quality trees and the negative impacts. "Social wellbeing" are all the reasons raised by people who hate living next to trees. From roots tripping them up to debris filling gutters to pollen. Unless a tree is dangerous and its branches threaten to fall on a house or kill a person, health and welfare should not be reason to fell a tree. If people don't like trees, why choose to live near them? Or get a broom or some antihistamine rather than apply to destroy the city's treescape. The good news is the the council wants a more scientific approach taken to allergies, rather than people claiming all sorts of hocus pocus.
Public consultation will begin about October 1. If you value our city's trees, make sure you get your voice heard.
