Tree wars: Western Springs pines survive as Waitematā Local Board remains undecided

The Western Springs pines live to see another day. Photo / File

The battle to save a grove of ageing - some dying - pine trees in a central Auckland park continues after elected board members voted to again delay their decision.

The Waitematā Local Board in 2015 approved plans to fell the 200 nearly 100-year-old trees in Western Springs because of safety concerns from falling branches, and replace them with 15,000 native plants, in turn bringing native wildlife back to the urban estate.

But the speed and severity of the chop - all at once - drew strong opposition from many locals, concerned the process would damage existing native birds and plants.

A resource consent was granted for the work last year, challenged in the Environment Court but settled through mediation and put back to the board for a new decision in February.

But board approval was deferred from that meeting after Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei accused the board of consulting with the wrong mana whenua.

The hapū recently gave its full support after engaging with the board but again in a board meeting on Tuesday, the board voted - with a four to three majority - to delay the consented work, and instead opt for further assessment of alternative methods of tree felling.

Such an assessment could cost up to $30,000.

Chairperson Richard Northey, who voted against delaying the work, said he was "disappointed and cross" with the decision.

"We approved the original plan in 2015, had a consent granted, went through the Environment Court and mediation, have had plenty of information and time to be able to make a decision.

"It seems new issues keep getting raised and board members feel if they are not absolutely certain they cannot make a decision.

"But at the end of the day we are elected members, and some things need to be done in a timely way.

"Those trees need to go, so the native forest can begin to grow, and the area reopened for all to enjoy."

The area of the park has been closed to the public since 2018 due to safety concerns, and the board decision means it will remain closed indefinitely.

The pines were planted in the late 1920s and in the past 20 years have decayed from 700 trees in 1988 to 200 today, including 23 that are dead.

Auckland Council staff recommended the board fully adopt the consented work to remove the trees which, although it could cause a "high magnitude of disturbance" to the existing flora and fauna, would allow a faster transition to a native forest ecosystem.

Planting will turn the site into a "healthy podocarp-broadleaf forest dominated by kauri, puriri, taraire and tanekaha, along with a native understorey".

Protesters have in the past called for a "tree-by-tree" managed approach to minimise disturbance, claiming clear-felling the pines would damage the understorey, which contains native flora and fauna.

Board member Sarah Trotman said she voted "firmly" against the trees coming down all at once, and wanted alternative solutions explored.

"The board has not brought the community along with them. Our responsibility is to the community, and there are emails pouring in opposed to the trees coming down."

But she was disappointed the board did not adopt her request for an independent tree safety risk assessment.

"The only assessment we have is the one done by council staff, and you can pick holes in it. We need an independent assessment done."

She estimated such an assessment would cost about $20,000, and said if it deemed the trees unsafe she would support their removal.

She was also concerned about signing off on the project - estimated to cost $760,000, plus $57,500 for maintenance and pest control over 15 years - in times of economic uncertainty due to Covid-19.

"I will not be signing off on a project worth over $800,000, which we don't even know is necessary, when we do not know the extent of the impacts of the virus on our local businesses."