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An Auckland tree company has been penalised after it removed a protected tree on private property without resource consent.
Auckland City Council says it hopes the penalty will send a message to others about the council's strong stance on the protection of Auckland's trees.
A1 Trees Ltd was prosecuted for removing a Mahoe tree and pruning a Griselinia tree in the Auckland suburb of Sandringham.
After a restorative justice hearing, the company was ordered to pay a total of $5000 in costs and fines; plant and maintain three tree ferns on the Sandringham property and plant and maintain $1200 worth of trees for a year at Edendale Primary School in Sandringham.
The company was also ordered to give a 45-minute lecture to a class at the school about trees and the benefits they provide and attend an arboriculture conference in 2008.
Auckland City Council service requests manager Jackie Wilkinson said it was a good result for the council because the company had recognised their offence and shown remorse.
"They wrongly believed they were doing the right thing by acting on professional discretion after assessing the trees' health and have since apologised for the mistake."
The trees were classified as generally protected trees, so a council arborist needed to inspect and assess them before granting consent for any work to be carried out, she said.
"If you are unsure, it is always best to contact the council for some advice regarding the consent process."
Resource consents for trees are free of charge, she said.
A1 Trees Ltd was hired to prune and remove the trees by the property owners' landscape artist.
Auckland City Council has two levels of tree protection, with the highest protection is given to trees which have historic, botanical or cultural value and the council also had general tree protection rules.
Ms Wilkinson said as a general rule, if a tree was about the size of a two-storey house then it was likely to be covered by the general tree protection rules.
"The bigger trees get, the more benefits they provide not only for the property owner but the whole community and city, so it is very important to ensure that we protect and enhance the city's trees."
- NZPA
