Seventy trees set for the chop on Queen St

Some of the trees that are in line to be felled. Picture / Martin Sykes

The Auckland City Council is preparing to cut down another 70 trees on Queen St and replace them with 95 new ones.

According to the council's own landscape advice, Queen St will be largely denuded of greenery for up to 10 years under the new plan, with pedestrians viewing light poles instead of the lush canopies of the threatened trees, many of which are mature and healthy.

The council wants to create an "avenue" of exotic liquidambars, inter-planted with groups of native trees. Other exotics and every tree in a raised planter box will be cut down. New liquidambars, up to 5m tall, will be planted in large tree pits at ground level to allow them to have a healthier and longer life.

The latest plan, drawn up without public consultation, comes eight months after the public outcry and council u-turn over the so-called "Queen St massacre" of 20 exotic trees for natives.

Last night, Mayor Dick Hubbard made no apologies for excluding public input from plans to cut down 70 of the 77 trees between Wellesley and Customs Sts. The block between Wellesley and Victoria will lose all of its 18 exotic and three native trees.

Of the 70 threatened trees, 45 are exotics and 25 natives. Twenty-seven of the 70 are healthy trees, according to arborists. Some trees are more than 30 years old and up to 15m in height.

The first stage of the $41 million Queen St upgrade, under way between Mayoral Drive and Wellesley St, has seen the loss of nine trees and the planting of 16 new ones.

Mr Hubbard said the public had their say at the time of the outcry in January: "We are implementing what the public asked for for Queen St."

Asked if he believed the public endorsed the removal of 70 more trees in January, Mr Hubbard said: "There was no mention of number of trees. They asked us for more trees and we are delivering on more trees. They asked us for exotics and we are delivering on exotics. They asked for a boulevard of trees and we are delivering on a boulevard of trees."

Mr Hubbard, with backing from his deputy and City Vision-Labour leader Dr Bruce Hucker, said they never intended directly involving the public in the plan and there would be no u-turn this time. The council hopes for non-notified consent to cut down the trees to stop the public having a say, and to save money by avoiding costly delays consultation would incur.

Mr Hubbard said the plan had been before the council's streetscape reference group, the urban design panel and stakeholders like the Property Council, Heart of the City and Save Auckland Trees, all of whom approved it.

Save Auckland Trees spokeswoman Lesley Max, who accused the council of "brazen civic hypocrisy" in January, yesterday endorsed the latest plan.

"I know they are going to remove trees but I believe if we end up with what they promised, an avenue of healthy and thriving liquidambars and quite a dense avenue, then that will be a good compromise solution to Queen St," she said.

But Action Hobson councillor Christine Caughey said the existing trees created an important ambience in Queen St and contributed to the street's value and urban design.

She was also unhappy at the loss of 27 healthy trees.

If independent commissioners grant a non-notified resource consent, cutting of the trees could start next month.

>> What do you think? Email the Herald news desk