Weekly column by Kāpiti Mayor K Gurunathan.
Last week, the council's grants allocation subcommittee distributed just over $38,000 to 11 applicants. This funding round related to heritage projects largely dealing with the active encouragement and assistance to landowners and community to manage, protect and enhance ecological and geological assets.
Of the other three applicants who missed out because of not meeting the guidelines was applicant and Waikanae resident Rama Bhagawanji. He had requested a $2000 grant to help towards the total $4000 needed to brace a "large California redwood". His application stated the tree was designated by the council as a notable tree, which made it a significant tree worthy of protection and met the funding criteria.
The application, however, was rejected as council staff found it was not in its register of notable trees. This is probably the case for hundreds or even a few thousand trees that are valued by residents in individual homes, people in neighbourhoods and communities. But they have not been formally recognised. These trees give neighbourhoods and communities their special seasonal characters.
I wrote an opinion piece in the last edition of Ōtaki Today on this subject. Successive long-term plan consultation exercises have repeatedly identified the need to keep the special character of our townships often described as a string of pearls. What we don't specifically identify is the value that trees in urban spaces contribute to the special character of these townships.