Police clash with protestors trying to stop the removal of a stand of trees on Canal Road Reserve in Avondale. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Regrettably, on March 9, 2021 a large contingent of police and contractors moved on to the Canal Rd, Avondale site.
A number of arrests were made, and all the remaining trees were destroyed except for the scheduled pōhutukawa. This planted arboretum of some 40 100-year-old native trees
included fine examples of hīnau, rewarewa, kawaka, tītoki, Hall's tōtara, tōtara, pūriri, which are now no longer. A potential ready-made attractive park was lost.
Auckland Council, the developer and Government have had three years to sort out a solution to save this arboretum and all failed us, despite courageous action by local residents, arborists and the tree protection advocacy group Mana Rākau which formed a 240+ day occupation of the site.
In my four decades of being involved in plant conservation this is the worst destruction that I have seen in urban Auckland, and at a time when council is telling us to plant more trees while acknowledging over 10 per cent (perhaps 30 per cent) of Auckland's mature trees have recently been lost.
Yes we need more houses – but not like this. The reinstatement of tree protection is urgently required.
Ewen Cameron, Balmoral.
Hear! Hear! to both Helen Geary and Roger D McCarthy, writing about the importance of protecting mature trees (NZ Herald, March 12). Both writers make excellent points.
Having done so, would Auckland Council and the Tupuna Maunga Authority please respond to these comments and issues?
I wonder whether anyone at Auckland Council or the Tupuna Maunga Authority has read Jared Diamond's book Collapse? It should be required reading for them, and for anyone making decisions about the environment and the future of Auckland, or indeed any city.
After reading it, the proposed removal of hundreds or thousands of mature trees from any city will be seen for what it is - a death wish; and one completely at odds with Auckland Council's own Long Term Plan for mitigating climate change.
Auckland Council, please explain. The time for mealy-mouthed talk is past. You will be remembered for these barbaric actions if you continue along this path.
Claire Chambers, Parnell.
Helen Geary (NZ Herald, March 12) rightly points out that the Tupuna Maunga Authority is determined to cut down all non-native trees on 14 maunga in Auckland and this has already been completed on Mangere and Pigeon Mountain. The Council also plants only native trees along berms and parks. This means that over time there could be very few exotic trees on council-owned land in Auckland.
While native trees thrive in forested areas, most are unsuited to a city environment where they are affected by fumes and strong light. The Council tends to plant titoki along berms where they often look spindly. They grow best in areas that have a lot of water, such as wetlands.
A visit to Nuffield St in Newmarket demonstrates how exotics can flourish in a city environment. They provide much-needed shade during summer, vivid colour in autumn and allow sunlight to penetrate in winter.
The obsession of councils for planting natives in urban areas and along roadsides, regardless of their suitability should be balanced by choosing trees that create the most visual appeal and thrive in a city environment.
Annette Perjanik, Mt Roskill.
It shows how broken the Australian education and medical system is, when they continue to raise human beings, whom they despicably term "trash".
They do not seem to own the fact that these innocent children arrived in their country as babies and preschoolers and are "brainwashed" as Australians when they hold a New Zealand or other passports, work and contribute to the Australian tax take for which they receive limited benefits.
Not exactly raising model citizens, Mr Dutton. You need to look carefully at your system, one which will show that it is not only non-Australian passport holders who offend.
I am glad that I live in a country that endeavours to treat its citizens as human beings, where MPs help their constituents and with a leader who shows compassion and kindness.
I hope that WINZ and the DHBs extend the help to these hundreds of Australian deportees have obviously missed out on due to "trashy" systems and through no fault of their own.
Marie Kaire, Whangarei.
The article about the 286 metres of sidewalk to be completed this financial year (NZ Herald, March 12) highlights just how incompetent Auckland Council and its so-called Council Controlled Organisations have become. This is of course only the tip of a very large iceberg.
Normally I'd suggest the Government should take over but, after an excellent start with the Covid virus, it has demonstrated equal incompetence in so many areas such as managed isolation and visa processing that it clearly does not have the ability to do so.
The least that could be done for long-suffering Aucklanders is to appoint an independent commissioner or commissioners to provide some relief for us and raise this city from the depths into which it has fallen.
Rod Lyons, Muriwai.
I, and I'm sure many like me, are sick and tired of the constant bleating about how Covid lockdowns are affecting peoples' freedoms and businesses etc. Yes, it is inconvenient and I do feel for those who suffer, but lockdowns are a global event, designed to help keep citizens safe from the ravages of this virus and there will very possibly be more. Perhaps those who go on endlessly would like to follow the examples of the presidents of the US and Brazil, whose denial and inaction have unnecessarily cost hundreds of thousands of lives?
Our Government is doing exactly what it needs to, and should, in the times we now live. The world pre-Covid isn't coming back any time soon, we need to adjust to our new reality.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
I was interested to read the "bureaucratic lunacy" article (NZ Herald, March 12) with Kaipara College students advised to take taxis.
This is a case of history repeating itself but with added stupidity and uproar.
In the 1950s, I attended the same secondary school, then named Helensville District High School.
My sister and I biked 2km on metal roads from our sheep farm; placed our bikes in a relative's barn; joined our cousin and then walked up the very steep clay road of Constitution Hill to catch the school bus at the corner of Old North Rd.
In my second year, there were amiable talks between parents, the headmaster and the Education Board, the latter agreeing to pay for taxi services for students who had travel disadvantages.
For the last three years of my secondary schooling, all of the students in the valley got picked up at their farm gates each school day and delivered safe, sound and dry to the nearest school bus route to Helensville High.
There was no fuss, no uproar, just good old common sense involved.
Vivienne Wilson, Ōrākei.
As a member of the Engineers' Haka Party in the 1950's, I would like to comment on your article (NZ Herald, March 12).
The Haka Party existed to lead the university procession from Princes St to the Town Hall for capping. The Haka Party set the pace of the "Procesh" as leaders.
We performed two genuine haka – "Akarana" and, I think, "Akarana Whakarongo" and a brief canoe chant called, I think, "Uputikiora".
A subsidiary purpose was to raise funds for Red Cross. We also performed a version with the actions of "Akarana" but exhorting people to "give till it hurts" for Red Cross.
Photos taken at the time show no moko or other markings on the Haka Party. It is true that they wore grass skirts and made-up spears, but all the props and floats were made by the students.
Why did Māori students not produce the Haka Party? The simple answer is the very few Māori at Auckland University at the time. In 1958, my friends and contemporary Engineering students, Robert Mita Henare and Michael A. Taylor were the only Māori to graduate with degrees in any faculty of the university.
Whatever the culture in 1979, the Haka Party certainly did not have its origins in institutionalised racism.
Des Mataga, Glendowie.
After viewing the fiasco of yacht racing on the calmer waters of the Waitematā, there is surely a case for moving any future NZ regattas to Cook Strait where the wind will blow the milk out of your coffee.
Such a development would have the race committee reaching for the rule book to check just how much of the boat and its equipment needs to cross the line to constitute a win. But what television.
David Duignan, Campbells Bay.
In addition to the letter (NZ Herald, March 12) about the Whitianga tsunami on May 23-24, 1960, I can add that my husband Toby Morcom had left his car parked at ferry landing that night and later found that the water level had inundated the vehicle to a depth of one metre
Having dealt with that, he then had the problem of tending to his launch moored in the Whitianga River. The mooring had been dragged up as far as Quarry Point. After raising the mooring, he attempted to take the boat out to the harbour on the outgoing tide. He was unable to do this as the water came back into the river, and the launch at full speed was unable to make way against the incoming current. He dropped the mooring 300m past the wharf, waited for the water to recede again and then managed to get the boat out from there and into Flaxmill Bay.
He told me that, in between the tides, people were able to walk out and pick up the flapping fish that had been left stranded there.
Diana Morcom, Whitianga.
On Coster
If Police Commissioner Andrew Coster (NZ Herald, March 11) needs to ask for a public debate on whether it's even remotely acceptable to randomly photograph and bully innocent (until proven otherwise) youth, then he's not fit for purpose; not even close. Roger Clarke, Te Awamutu.
On Ardern
How similar The Duchess of Sussex is to our very own Prime Minister. Neil Jenkins, Mt Eden.
On Gayford
Since when has it become the PM's fiancé's job to report on the change of lockdown levels. I would have thought his Twitter account should be left to fishing comments. John Roberts, Remuera.
On dementia
A man was going to visit his mother who was suffering from dementia. His friend said "Why are you going? She won't know who you are." "Yes", he said "but I know who she is". Peter Arnott, Northpark.
On Bailey
Let's hope lots of the team of 5 million had the opportunity to read the article on Bill Bailey in the entertainment section (NZ Herald, March 12). At least he can see how lucky we've been with our Covid-19 response. Nigel Bufton, Pāuanui.
On Hosking
Jacinda Ardern dropping the Hosking show is not so much a matter of avoiding accountability, as some would have it, but a firm stand for civility in our human interactions. B Darragh, Auckland Central .
More than two dozen firefighters battled the fire at its peak.