Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board Seeks Nominations of Notable Trees for Protection

The Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board is encouraging all residents, and anyone else interested in the Mangere-Otahuhu area, to nominate local trees on private land that they feel should be considered for protection in the District Plan.

Nominations must be submitted for consideration before 31 March 2011.

The Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board is anxious to preserve the natural beauty and health of this community for future generations. One way of doing this is to identify and protect our important trees.

Community nominations of notable trees helps the Board in ensuring the most spectacular and iconic trees in the area can be protected.

Local Board Chair Leau Peter Skelton explains, "The nominations are being called for as a result of changes to the Resource Management Act in 2009.

"The changes to the Act will remove the existing, general protection rules for trees in urban areas from January 2012.

"In preparation for this change, we are asking people to nominate any notable trees on private land in urban areas to be included in a regional schedule."

Only trees that are in outstanding condition and which also provide quality amenity and are locally renowned for their heritage status or contribution to the community’s landscape will be considered.

There is no need to nominate trees on Council parks and reserves as these are not affected by changes to the legislation. They need not be included on the schedule of trees because they will still be protected under the District Plan.

Nomination forms are available from local libraries, the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board office at Shop 17, 93 Bader Drive, Mangere, online at the Auckland Council website or from individual members of the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board.

The Local Board will collate all of the nominations they receive and trees will be assessed by qualified arborists to help the Council determine which nominations should be included in a draft schedule of notable trees.

Once the draft schedule of notable trees is produced later in the year, members of the public will have a chance to comment on the draft and make submissions about the removal of trees from or addition of trees to the schedule of notable trees.