The Hastings District Council will discuss the management of trees in Keirunga Gardens at a meeting on Thursday. Photo / File
The Hastings District Council will discuss the management of trees in Keirunga Gardens at a meeting on Thursday. Photo / File
The Hastings District Council has received 210 submissions on the draft Keirunga Gardens Tree Management Plan, with only five in favour of the proposal.
A paper is being presented to the council on Thursday which outlines various plans to maintain trees along a section of Havelock North's Keirunga Gardens, calledArthur's Path.
The council will be discussing four options for the management of the trees in the area: maintaining the status quo, adopting the draft plan, adopting one of three new plans which arose during submissions, or creating a new, community-led tree management plan in the area.
The original council draft plan would see more than 80 trees in the area cut down, the paper describing it as "radical".
"Its vision is one of a variety of species giving a variety of colour, food source and a new landscape dynamic.
"This vision, however, does not align kindly with the wider community's vision and their desire to retain the tree heritage values of Keirunga Gardens."
One-hundred-and-eighty-one submitters raised concerns at the trees being cut down.
"It is clear that the vast majority of submitters do not support the adoption of a concept that will see the rapid removal of the oak trees.
"It is also clear that most submitters treasure the existing woodland and want it retained and enhanced," the paper reads.
The section of trees that council originally proposed to do a massive cutback of. Photo / File
Three new plans arose during the consultation period, called the Arborlab Plan, the Richie Hill Plan and the David Cranwell Plan.
The Arborlab Plan suggests 95 trees be felled, although fewer oaks than in the original draft plan.
The Richie Hill Plan recommends no trees are felled without first setting up a new tree committee or group to work on formulating a new plan and appropriate tree management policies.
The David Cranwell Plan would see rigorous scientific investigation into the health of the trees, and tree retention through professional arborist management.
Council officers have not made a specific recommendation to councillors, but the paper says they have a preference for a community-led new plan being developed.
Two-hundred-and-ten submissions is a significant number for the council to receive on any one issue, although not the largest the council has seen in recent years.
By comparison, the most recent consultation over the Craggy Range Track received only 27 submissions.
