Rotorua man criticises council over delay in felling rotting tree

Richard Diamond alerted the council to a rotting tree months before it was cut down. Photo / Laura Smith

• Richard Diamond accused the council of “incompetence” for delaying the removal of a rotting tree.
• The tree was not felled until months after Diamond reported the rot.
• The council acknowledged the delay and promised improvements in communication and co-ordination for future issues.

The neighbour of a Rotorua public reserve has claimed council “incompetence” in dealing with a large, rotting tree he feared could have endangered his family.

Gem St resident Richard Diamond lives next to the Homedale St Reserve, where a tree was felled on March 31, months after he raised its rot with Rotorua Lakes Council and a large limb fell across his fence.

Large rotted sections were visible in the cut tree, the wood turning to sludge in Diamond’s hands.

Before it was cut down, it was “easily six storeys tall”, and he said his family were “counting the days” until it fell.

“Every day, ‘is today going to be the day one of us gets crushed?‘.”

It was “wonderful” to have the tree down but Diamond said it “shouldn’t have taken me jumping up and down to do that”.

Diamond felt unheard and called it “incompetence”.

“It’s like they put their head in the sand.”

Diamond believed he first alerted the council to the rot in December, asking who to contact about it. He said he received no response. The council could not find this email.

He sent an email on January 17 showing the rotten crown and said he was told an assessment would be made on the tree and that it would be pruned.

Sections near the base of the tree in Homedale St Reserve showed the rot, which turned to sludge when touched. Photo / Laura Smith

Diamond contacted the council again on February 1 when a large branch came down across his fenceline.

He understood it was assessed as dangerous the next day, keep-out tape was placed, and the fallen branch was removed.

Two weeks later, the tape was partially removed, and left hanging on Diamond’s fence. He strung that section to the reserve fence. The council has said it did not remove it.

Diamond noticed in the last week of March a deadfall branch caught in the limbs of the rotted section and emailed the council again.

He received a call from the arborist who told him the urban forestry adviser disagreed with his assessment that the tree should be removed.

Diamond took to social media to voice his concerns and emailed Mayor Tania Tapsell on March 26.

Two days later, he received an email from her office and the recreation and open spaces manager that the arborist and the adviser had redetermined the risk and tree health.

The branch that fell in February landed across Diamond's fenceline. Photo / Supplied

The manager’s email said the tree would be felled to “mitigate risk and conflicts with the power lines”, and it would treat the matter urgently.

He ended the email with an apology for the delay and communication on the issue, and the stress caused to Diamond and his family.

“I will be reviewing this matter with the team to ensure an improved service for our community.”

The tree was felled on March 31.

The council’s community experience group manager Alex Wilson told Local Democracy Reporting the council acknowledged Diamond’s concerns.

"Public safety is a priority for Rotorua Lakes Council and has been the key consideration with regards to the tree in Gem St."

The review the manager referred to “highlighted that there should have been a more co-ordinated approach to dealing with this issue and to communication with Mr Diamond”.

“We have implemented improvements to ensure that happens in future.”

She said staff remained in regular contact with Diamond as work progressed between January and March.

The tree by Gem St before it was cut. Photo / Laura Smith

“The tree was assessed during each site visit and the most appropriate course of action was considered.”

Trees assessed as dangerous were cordoned off to prevent access, and maintenance or removal works are programmed.

The first site visit was after Diamond’s January 17 email. On January 29 or 30, it was agreed work was needed to remove the limb overhanging the fence.

It fell down on February 1.

Wilson said the delay from Diamond’s email to the limb removal decision was due to a backlog of requests requiring them to be prioritised.

The area was taped off and the fallen limb cleared on February 2, with another site visit on February 3.

The next was on March 27 when it was agreed the tree should be removed.

Wilson said an initial decision to retain the tree was reassessed and the decision to remove it related to long-term maintenance requirements and powerline concerns.

A contractor with powerline certification removed it.

The tree was previously last checked in August 2023, with no issues detected.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist since 2019.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.