Autumn deadline to fell diseased, historic tree

Greytown's historic Farley's Oak will be felled in the autumn after it was reported to South Wairarapa District Council the tree is diseased and unlikely to survive.

Two aborist reports in the last two years have highlighted the 150-year-old English Oak's ill health, apparently caused by a fungal invasion of Honey Fungus, and forced the Greytown Community Board to make a decision to fell it in autumn.

Greytown Community Board member Kay Gray said it was only after some discussion, and consultation with the Farley family, that they made the decision.

"I was hoping that maybe time might've been a cure, but time is not always a cure for nature or trees so that's basically the decision we ended up having to come to.

"It's a sad one, but that's where we're at," Mrs Gray said.

It was sad to be losing a landmark, but there were two other large oaks on West St and a replacement would be planted from Farley's Oak seedlings at Collier Reserve in July, she said.

But the Farley family, descendants of those who bought the section on which the oak was planted, doubt the reports.

"Leave it alone and let it do its own thing," said Jim Farley.

His son Allan Farley said there had been aborists' reports over the years and many of them had been contradictory.

He said the tree may just need more pruning and its soil conditions improved.

"They've had people look at it a number of times, and the most recent said 'it's no good and it's going to croak at any moment'," he said.

Mr Farley said he had had informal discussions with the council and community board about the tree, but the tree belonged to the council and were worried it may fall and kill someone. "It's been here as long as the town, that change is going to leave a big gap in the skyline ... there's nothing to replace it in this area, it's becoming a very barren skyscape."

Together with his brother, Ian, Mr Farley has been growing seedlings from Farley's Oak and has about a dozen that are at least 1m high.

One has already been planted on the Lions' walkway on Udy St, and he would like more planted around Greytown with a plaque commemorating the tree, his family and other settlers of the town.

Legend has it the West St oak was planted by one of Greytown's earliest settlers, Benjamin Stevens, who came out from England with the acorns in his pocket although it could have been Joseph Meads, owner of the neighbouring section.