Free to a good home!

Phoenix palms planted on the road reserve at Haruru Falls more than 25 years ago are being offered to the public free of charge.

The palms have become a major maintenance headache for the Far North District Council as they continue to soar skyward towards high voltage electricity lines.

"Continual pruning is costly and leaves the trees mis-shaped and unsightly. We have looked at the option of transplanting the palms elsewhere but have been unable to find a suitable location in the same area," Contract Monitoring Technical Officer Mike Colebrook says.

"Any persons interested in taking the palms and shifting them must contact the council (0800 920 029) so the removal operation can be supervised and appropriate safety and traffic management plans put in place. All costs associated with the removal, including any requirements of the NZ Land Transport Authority and Top Energy Ltd, will be the responsibility of the recipient," he says.

The offending palms are located on the south side of State Highway 11 (Puketona Road) between the Yorke Road and Haruru Falls Road junctions.

If an alternate home cannot be found, the council's only remaining option is to cut them down completely, he says.