Whanganui resident Jack Mitchell-Anyon calls for the removal of caged council plants

Jack Mitchell-Anyon and his dog, Delphi, next to a griselinia on Heads Rd. Photo / Mike Tweed

A Whanganui resident has called for the removal of about 30 caged trees in the beachside suburb of Castlecliff.

Jack Mitchell-Anyon said the cages on Heads Rd, Cornfoot St and Puriri St had been in place for more than 20 years.

“They are griselinia, which is New Zealand’s favourite hedge. It is not a street tree,” he said.

“I think we can all admit it’s a failed project.”

During the public forum at a Whanganui District Council meeting on March 24, Mitchell-Anyon said the griselinias should be replaced with plants providing “shade and aesthetic”, and Whanganui experts recommended Chatham Island nīkau.

While they were not cheap, they did not mind salt and did not “brown out”, he said.

“I think we can use some of the amazing gardeners we have, like Clive Higgie, Colin Ogle, Ivan Vostinar, Simone Summer.

“When we redo this, we should utilise these people. They are like your Auckland consultant but free.”

According to the council’s 2016 street tree strategy, it “strives to maintain the integrity of Whanganui’s treescape for future generations while allowing the flexibility for necessary tree removal and replacement”.

Mitchell-Anyon said street trees aligned with the council’s climate change policy and with Whanganui’s Unesco City of Design status.

“It’s not just about human design, it’s also about gardening,” he said.

“Sparse, empty streets don’t spell City of Design to me.”

Councillor Rob Vinsen said the cages were installed because the trees were being vandalised.

“It was supposed to be double what is there but it was stopped,” he said.

“If you’re talking about a new planting programme, give some thought to how those trees are going to be protected.”

Jack Mitchell-Anyon says planting along Rangiora St has not been vandalised because it was community-led. Photo / Phil Thomsen

Mitchell-Anyon said efforts should not be reduced because of vandalism fears.

He said Rangiora St, which intersects with Cornfoot St and has been planted with aloes and palms, had not been vandalised because it was community-led.

“If you involve the community, they’ll be more interested.

“Also, it’s just beautiful, because it was done by a real gardener. People love it so they don’t vandalise it.”

He said other replacement options for the griselinias were oleanders or dracaenas (dragon tree).

The project required “a bit of buy-in” from the council.

“Street trees are very low-maintenance but, for the first part of their lives, they need help,” Mitchell-Anyon said.

“You’ve got to water it through summer, you’ve got to feed it a little bit and mulch it to retain moisture.

“After that, you can pretty much walk away and reap the rewards for years and years to come.”

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 Whanganui District Council.