Tell Council now about trees blocking Wainui views

Wainui residents with concerns about trees that block their views have two weeks left to tell Council about them. A committee is to be established which will consider requests made about beachfront trees.

The Lysnar and Wainui Beach Reserves Management Plan, which Council adopted in 2008, called for the establishment of a Tree Advisory Committee. The committee will consider requests made from Wainui residents to have trees which block their sea views pruned or removed.  The committee is to be made up of Council staff, a Department of Conservation representative and an arborist.

The community has until Wednesday 10 March 2010 to inform Council of their concerns.  A number of requests have already been made and these will all be assessed by the committee in March. Those not received by this date will be assessed when the group reconvenes in 2012.

“Obviously trees are an emotive topic,” says reserves planner, De-Arne Sutherland.  “A number of submissions to the management plan from the Wainui community were about trees.  Although the community at Wainui and Okitu are largely ‘beach’ people at heart, and recognise the importance of stabilising and regenerating the beach’s dunes. If their sea views are blocked by trees on Council reserves, they generally want them gone, or at least pruned.  Views are important too”. 

Council understands this, and recommended a Tree Advisory Committee meet every two years to consider public requests. Where possible the group will look for reasonable ways to reinstate views.  Decisions will be based on the impact the tree has on views, its health, its importance to dune stability and whether anything else impedes views. “We must balance the need to protect our dunes with the desire for views. The group may decide to remove exotic trees, lift or thin natives or leave the tree as it is,” Mrs Sutherland added.

Residents should advise Council in writing by mail or on the Council website www.gdc.govt.nz. They should include their address, what tree(s) are blocking their view and what they want to happen. 

Since 2008 reserves staff have been busy implementing the Lysnar and Wainui Beach Reserves Management Plan. New steps and picnic tables, signs and bins have been installed, landscaping has occurred at ‘schools’ and the ‘Whales’ area has been tidied up.