Napier Rd tree removal 'vandalism'

Former Havelock North Mayor Jeff Whittaker began to take a different way home, as Hastings District Council removed the historic trees on Napier Rd in Havelock North this week.

"I can't drive past it, I just think it's a desecration of trees, I've spoken with their engineer and Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst called me and got the engineer to explain that although it's a hugely wide road, there's no room to put a water main down.

"There are sewerage pipes running down there, the trees have to be ripped out so they can run the new water main down the middle."

The mixed variety of trees were planted by the Havelock North Rotary Club in the early 1970s, with certain species selected to withstand Hawke's Bay's dry weather.

Only one tree has not been programmed for removal, due to a protection order under the district plan.

Once the new water main has been installed, the Hastings District Council will work with the Havelock North Rotary Club once again to replace the current trees with new golden elms, chosen to match specimens in Karanema Dr.

Hastings District Council Chief Executive Ross McLeod said the Council was keen to involve Havelock North Rotary in the selection and planting of the new trees.

"The club has already indicated they would be keen to consider adopting this new tree planting project as a Rotary Community project for 2018, 45 years on from their last effort."

McLeod said while both Council and Havelock North Rotary agreed the tree removal was regrettable, it was necessary to enable the laying of the new water pipeline to Havelock North.

"The presence of multiple underground services, including sewer, stormwater, telecommunications, water and power has meant that only one alignment is possible without risking damage to vital services."

Another resident with a special attachment to the trees is former Horticulturist Chris Ryan. He has been visiting two of the Koelreuteria trees growing in the centre of Napier Rd for years. They are the only known species aged 40 years old to be growing in the Hawke's Bay region.

"I've been collecting seeds from them for a number of years, it's been one of my retirement hobbies.

"I was in the nursery business for quite a long time and they're not a hard tree to grow. I don't know why they shouldn't be around, but often it's a matter of someone getting the seeds in the first place, then growing the trees and evaluating them. It takes around 10 to 15 years to get seeds from them," he said.

The new water main is due to be installed in late June and early July. Until now, work on the new 4.8km water main has been concentrated on the Hastings side of Crosses Rd Bridge.

Jeff Whittaker said a number of people have approached him since the news of the tree removal broke.

"Feelings are running really high, people are just devastated.

"The council is just going to chop out 40 years of heritage, it just blows me away.

"I was considering chaining myself to one of the trees to stop the removal, so if I decide to go ahead, people are welcome to bring me pumpkin soup, but tomato is alright too."