Central Whanganui tree removal and replacement to cost $35,000

The council says London planes are renowned for their tolerance of urban pollution and traffic movement. Photo / Mike Tweed

Whanganui’s council is spending $35,000 to remove and replace trees in the central city, but that will cover more than ”someone with a chainsaw”.

Two London planes on Victoria Ave are coming down, with the road closed between Taupō Quay and Ridgway St from 5-7am on weekdays this week.

In a statement, Whanganui District Council said London planes were the species selected for the area in the 1880s by James Laird who was mayor from 1886 to 1888.

“These trees provide welcome shade in the summer, help lower overall city temperatures when it’s hot and are renowned for their tolerance of urban pollution and traffic movement, helping to clean the city air,” the council said.

They are replaced every seven to 10 years because of their size.

The council said one tree, near Taupō Quay, had damaged the median strip in the middle of the road and would not be replaced because of limited space.

“A garden will be installed instead. This will improve traffic light visibility as well.”

The other, on the Ridgway St corner, was being replaced, with a new garden area added to prevent pavers and kerbing being lifted by tree roots, it said.

Council chief executive David Langford said the cost covered pavement and footpath reinstatement, new plantings and new gardens.

“It’s not just $35,000 for someone with a chainsaw to chop down a tree,” he said.

He said the council had no plans to remove all trees from the central city.

While it needed to keep costs down, it also had to “deliver value”.

“Removing trees and flower beds and not having hanging baskets would keep rates low but if we don’t have them, have we got a city that’s a great place to live?” Langford said.

“We need to strike a balance. We don’t want to vandalise the great place we live in by being too liberal with what we cut.

“We will manage them and, where we need to, we’ll do some pruning or fell a tree and replace it.”

Some people loved the London planes but others thought they should be replaced with native species, Langford said.

“We may well give that some thought in the future but, at this stage, the trees are here to stay.”

The council said species other than London plane may not be tough enough to tolerate high levels of vehicle and pedestrian activity.

According to its 2016 street tree strategy, they were a special feature of the district that created an “avenue feel” and linked to early European settlement.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.