Falling tree branch smashes windscreen

A large branch has fallen onto a parked car. Photo / Nick Reed

A tree branch has smashed through the windscreen of a car parked on the street outside the grounds of Auckland University's inner city campus.

No one was in the car at the time.

The woman who owns the car returned about 20 minutes after the heavy oak tree branch fell over the footpath and was too upset to talk to a Herald reporter at the scene.

Auckland Transport controls the road corridor and a spokesman said it would remove the branch in Waterloo Quadrant.

The branch was from one of 300 heritage trees in the Old Government House sector of the university's grounds, some of which were planted in New Zealand's colonial era by Governor George Grey.

"We don't want any risk to people or property, so we have been proactive in surveying the trees' condition and in pruning along that street over the last 12 months," said Emmett Mackle, who is the university's associate director of facilities, property services.

"Unfortunately, the arborist said this branch looked fine from the outside and its interior rot was not picked up.

"We are sorry to hear this has happened but it is rare given there are 300 trees of 100 years old or more."

Mr Mackle said repairs to the car should be covered by the motorist's private insurance, because the falling branch was the result of an unexpected failure of the tree.