Clever plantsmen solve Mount's access problem

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

Contractors replanting Mt Maunganui's steep seaward face yesterday had a novel way of getting 2700 plants to their target.

In true Kiwi style, they knocked up a 50m long chute with sheets of corrugated iron, bits of wire "and a few screws".

It did the trick and saved a lot of heavy physical carrying, said David Clayton-Greene, from Tauranga landscape company CGC.

The native plants were towed to the top of the Mount on a tractor and trailer and one at a time carefully placed on the makeshift chute. They then slid down to 25 workers near the base of the mountain.

Without the chute it would have taken a lot of trips to distribute the 30cm to 40cm trees and shrubs, which were then planted by hand on the northern slopes, said Mr Clayton-Greene, a sub-contractor to Naturally Native NZ Plants, which was doing the work for the Tauranga District Council.

He said an experienced forestry gang was used on the steep terrain. "It was a walk in the park for them."

A safety fence was erected at the base of the mountain during the planting.

The revegetation is part of a restoration project after a fire in January swept through 20ha of Mt Maunganui's northern face from the base to the summit.

Community volunteers have also held successful planting days.