An ugly heap of branches and off-cuts left dumped on the site. Photo / Paul Taylor
An ugly heap of branches and off-cuts left dumped on the site. Photo / Paul Taylor
A man who cut down 30-year-old redwood trees near Hastings without permission will not be prosecuted or fined, Hastings District Council has confirmed.
However, the council has spoken to the man responsible for the incident a fortnight ago, and told him he must clear the mess left behind on the council-owned site in Pakipaki.
A neighbour says it is terrible to think someone can get away with this type of behaviour.
Six redwood trees were cut down and thousands of dollars worth of redwood cedar was taken on August 31 from a grass paper road off Stock Rd.
The council says it did not give permission for the six trees to be cut down but did receive a call from someone a couple of weeks prior about knocking down one of the trees.
"Because there was uncertainty around who the person was that called council about chopping down one tree, council can't take legal action as the caller may have interpreted the response as giving them permission," Hastings District Council group manager asset management Craig Thew said.
Steve Lobb says the person responsible should be held to account. Photo / Paul Taylor
Following the incident, Thew said the council spoke with the person who removed the trees, and advised him he must tidy up and clear the area by this Friday.
He said they had also made it very clear to the person that anyone wanting to remove trees from a road, be it paper or formed, needed council's written approval.
"When considering any [future] request we will require confirmation of the views of adjacent landowners," Thew said.
"While we do not have the power to impose a fine for cutting down a tree on [a] road - be it paper or formed - we are likely to refer this kind of activity to the police for investigation and prosecution as reckless damage, wilful damage, theft, or some combination of those offences.
"We would have done so in this case were it not for the unusual circumstances referred to."
Council did not release the name of the person involved.
What the trees (right) looked like before being knocked down. Photo / Supplied
Neighbour Steve Lobb planted the trees 32 years ago largely for the beautification of the area. The road has been used by locals for walking and riding horses.
He said it was hard to believe the person responsible could get away with it.
"It would be a different story if they were the redwoods from Havelock North," he said.
"They can't even make the guy bring the timber back, it is terrible."
The land the trees were on was council-owned, but the trees themselves were classified as Crown property.
An pile of branches and off-cuts were still at the site on Wednesday.
