A pōhutukawa tree in Mount Maunganui's May Street Reserve was severely pruned recently.
A pōhutukawa tree in Mount Maunganui's May Street Reserve was severely pruned recently.
A Mount Maunganui resident is upset after a pōhutukawa tree was allegedly illegally cut in a public reserve.
Tauranga City Council filed a police complaint and says the tree was pruned without consent.
Police are investigating, and the council may prosecute under city bylaws for the tree damage.
A Mount Maunganui resident is furious after a pōhutukawa tree was allegedly illegally “butchered” in a public reserve near his rented home.
Tauranga City Council says it has filed a police complaint after the semi-mature tree in the May Street Reserve was “severely cut”without council consent.
The resident, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said on April 14 a man at a neighbouring property told him he was going to trim some branches off a tree as a surprise for the homeowners.
The resident said he was busy working inside when he heard a chainsaw start then saw a man using an electric pruning saw and a hand saw to chop several of the top branches off the tree.
A man prunes a pōhutukawa tree in May Street Reserve, Mount Maunganui.
“Despite my strong objections, the tree was extensively chopped, in [my view] it’s been butchered and the back yard at the neighbouring property was full of cut-off branches.”
He said attempts to get the pruner to stop were met with “aggressive and abusive” responses.
The resident also alleged the man later screamed abuse and threats at him while he hosted visitors.
“This beautiful tree used to hug the deck and now we are exposed to the lights and noise from the Port [of Tauranga] and people in nearby houses can look into the main bedroom and our lounge.”
He said the pruning meant the owners of another property now had an unrestricted view of Mauao.
In his view, the council needed to charge the pruner to send a deterrent message to him and the community that there were consequences for this type of “appalling” conduct.
The owner of the resident’s rented home, who the Bay of Plenty Times also agreed not to name, said she was “horrified” when she saw a photograph of the cut tree.
She said the tree was 2 to 3 metres from the boundary between her property and a neighbour.
If she had been asked, she would have advised the pruner “he needed the council’s consent before doing anything to this beautiful tree”, she said.
A semi-mature Pōhutukawa tree in Mount Maunganui's May Street Reserve before it was allegedly illegally trimmed on April 14. Photo / Supplied
“Trees don’t just grow overnight, and these sorts of trees were planted in the reserve for everyone to enjoy, and the May St Reserve is well-used and enjoyed by lots of residents in the area.”
She was concerned about her “understandably upset” tenants’ loss of privacy, and the potential impact to the value of her property.
Council general manager community services Barbara Dempsey said it learned of the incident on April 14.
A council staff member immediately visited the site and advised the “alleged offender” the tree was a “council asset” and they had no permission to cut it.
“Unfortunately, the tree has been severely cut using techniques that are not up to the arboriculturally standards council requires on its tree assets.”
The pōhutukawa after the pruning, which Tauranga City Council alleges was done illegally.
Dempsey said the council “strongly condemned” illegal cutting of trees on public land.
“These actions are not only unlawful, but they are also harmful to the environment and our community.
“Approval to carry out any modification to a public tree has to be made by our urban forest team.”
Before it was cut, the tree could be described as a “semi-mature pōhutukawa”, she said.
Tauranga City Council has put up a warning sign after a pōhutukawa tree was allegedly illegally pruned in May St Reserve.
“Now the tree is significantly smaller and in poor condition. The cutting has left the tree exposed to unnecessary stress, and its regrowth will be more susceptible to myrtle rust.”
Myrtle rust is a serious fungal disease that infects native plants such as pōhutukawa, mānuka and, rātā.
Dempsey said police would decide whether to lay charges, and the council could also decide to prosecute under the city’s bylaws.
Penalties for “tree vandalism” varied depending on the tree’s value, damage and the likelihood of the tree’s survival.
Damage to notable trees protected under the City Plan – which this one was not – carried penalties of up to two years imprisonment or up to a $300,000 fine for an individual.
Tauranga police confirmed they were investigating the damage and encouraged anyone with helpful information to contact them via 105 and quote file number 250417/1190.
The Bay of Plenty Times attempted to contact the man who carried out the pruning.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
