The first phase of a restoration has begun for a significant city-centre historic site.
On Sunday, work was done to remove four trees from Monmouth Redoubt using a helicopter and arborists.
A Tauranga City Council statement last week said the Monmouth Redoubt project would focus on stabilising the site by strengthening the redoubt banks.
The tree removal is to protect underlying archaeological features and maintain the integrity of the redoubt.
As residents watched on Sunday morning, Treescape contractors at the site worked with a helicopter to cut then carry large branches through the canopy to a nearby location.
The council said the removed trees would be repurposed by local hapū as whakairo (carvings) to preserve their cultural significance.
The site at the Dive Cres end of The Strand was the early Māori settlement of Taumatakahawai Pā and in 1864, British forces built the redoubt as a strategic fortification.
It is closely linked to the Battle of Pukehinahina/Gate Pā and the Battle of Te Ranga, making it a site of local and national significance in New Zealand’s Land Wars history.
The council said plans to restore Monmouth Redoubt were first identified in a 2019 conservation report developed with input from local hapū, historical societies and nearby residents.
Restoration of the historic site will ensure “long-term preservation and improve public access”.
Planning for this project has involved local hapū, including Ngāi Tamarāwaho, Ngāti Tapu and Ngāi Tukairangi, with Ngāi Tamarāwaho providing on-site cultural monitoring.
The Tauranga Historical Society, Heritage NZ, The Elms and Monmouth Redoubt Reserve neighbours also contributed.
The second phase of the project included plans for a new boardwalk and signage to improve the visitor experience.
The work will close the redoubt’s eastern pathway until late this year.
Diversions are set at Whangapoua and Matarangi on SH25.