Opinion: Tauranga's trees deserve protection

The Tauranga City Council's tree management subcommittee has had plenty of discussion of these apparently trouble-some trees in 2nd Ave. Photo/file

If there is one hope I have for new mayor Greg Brownless and his new council, it is that they will seriously consider overhauling the city's tree policy.

As it stands, it appears people can lobby councillors to get trees axed for their own personal reasons.

It means that over the years councillors go to the vote on individual trees and there does not appear to be any long-term view on the city's treescape.

It sickens me that ancient trees that beautify our city with greenery and shade can be obliterated simply because a small group of people apply for them to be cut down.

In the latest tree debacle concerning two mature London plane trees growing on public land in Second Ave, one of the applicants to have the trees removed said he had suffered ill-health from the trees.

While sympathising with his condition, the trees were there before him and given the majority of our city's population do not suffer ill-health from these trees, it would seem fairer that he move rather than chop the trees down.

It is absurd that we remove trees when they pose inconveniences to residents. Thankfully, former councillor Mary Dillon has waded into the debate with some common sense.

She has highlighted the importance that mature trees would play as Tauranga moved towards more residential intensification through the council's compact city project and says September's council decision to fell the trees failed to meet any of the criteria for removal set out in the council's vegetation and tree management policy.

A nearby business, Greenslades furniture, said it would be a "tragedy" to remove these trees.

It certainly is a tragedy to see our city's trees disappear day by day because people complain they make a mess.

The council's tree policy should be tightened so people cannot use it to exercise their own desires to get trees removed, and there should be more consideration and protection given to the city's trees.