Uprooted: Mystery digger antics destroy trees at Hawke's Bay river

The damaged trees at Kaipapa Walkway near Puketapu. Photo / Supplied

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is seeking information on the apparent heavy-machinery destruction of trees that had been felled to block riverbed access on a reserve west of Napier.

Senior ranger Mark Brinsdon said the access from the Kaipapa Walkway to the Tūtaekurī River near Puketapu washed away due to bank erosion, and it became a health and safety risk.

The council closed the track, and felled trees across the entrance of the track to stop vehicles entering and possibly driving off the bank and into the river.

He said that between February 16 and last Friday, a large digger had entered the access track and driven over the felled trees, breaking the trees apart from their trunks and roots - "rendering them useless".

"These trees will more than likely die and provide no stabilisation to the bank, which puts the access track and road at risk of being eroded away," he said

The digger dug up the riverbank for access to the river, and crossed over to a beach in the centre of the river.

"We don't know why this happened, and we would like help from the public to identify the offender," Brinsdon said.

The council has lopped trees at the water's edge to stop further bank erosion and to protect the remaining access track and Dartmoor Rd, he said.

Anyone with information regarding this can report it to the regional council "in the strictest confidence", he said.