Over-the-top 'trim' harms pohutukawa

The pohutukawa tree at Lake Pupuke has had limbs lopped and 50 per cent of its foliage removed. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A disfigured pohutukawa tree at scenic Lake Pupuke is an early casualty of relaxed trimming rules and confusion over what is allowed, says the Tree Council.

Since October, six Auckland local bodies have allowed trimming of 20 per cent of live growth a year without a resource consent. Auckland City allows 30 per cent.

The councils also require that arborists be used to keep the tree's natural form and branching.

But trimming went too far at the $3.8 million Milford property a fortnight ago, says North Shore City Council. Compliance and monitoring team leader Dave Frith said limbs lopped off the tree near the edge of the lake took away over 50 per cent of the foliage.

The cuts were not of good arboricultural practice and harmed the health, shape and canopy of the tree.

Comparison of aerial pictures also showed three large palms and an elm tree were gone.

Mr Frith said the work was in breach of the council's District Plan rules, though from January 2012, a change to the Resource Management Act scraps the blanket or general tree protection rules.

"It's still an offence. We want to talk to the contractor to warn him off because if he has done one such job he is likely to do more."

Tree Council field officer Hueline Massey said the group had predicted such results from the law change.

"People cannot differentiate between pruning and removal."

A management plan prepared for the lake said more pohutukawa were needed on reserves to replace large ones lost over the years.

Clearance of lakeside foliage threatened the ecology and wildlife of the area, said Kaipatiki Project chairman Tabitha Becroft.

"I thought council policy was to give more protection to trees closer to the lake edge.

"I'm concerned if the change in tree rules means abandoning protection of trees in that residential zoning."