Recent vandalism and damage in a high conservation zone in the Tauranga city area is being investigated by Tauranga City Council.

A section of McCardles Bush in the Daisy Hardwick Reserve next to the Waikareao Estuary, classified as Significant Ecological Area, Category 1, has suffered significant damage from trees being cut down and land cleared, in what locals are saying appears to be a serious breach of the Resource Management Act.

Soil also appears to have been moved, with ground leaf mulch cleared from around native trees.

Trees have been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

SunLive readers living above the reserve say this is the second attack of this kind in just over a year, with axes being used to chop down trees, as well as holes dug and wooden structures erected.

“This time the damage is more significant and will cause considerable slippage adding to what we have been seeing with the ongoing rains,” says a local resident.

2022 vandalism

In 2022, concerned residents contacted Tauranga City Council about the first attack, and say it took an extended time before council sent out a letter to six neighbouring residents along Stratford Place who they say were mostly not involved in the incident.

Trees have been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

The letter, sent on October 4, 2022, from Tauranga City Council Spaces and Places Natural Environmental Advisor Dianne Paton says she took time to investigate the damage to the bush above the top track in the McCardles Bush.

“This is an area of high conservation zone classed as a Significant Ecological Area, Category 1, which is the highest class of this type in Tauranga,” says Dianne in her letter.

“The bush derives its classification due to the biodiversity of the flora and fauna found here. Tauranga City Council has spent a lot of time and money enriching this bush to promote its health.”

She goes on to say in the letter that her investigation uncovered the creation of informal bike tracks and crude hut type shelters throughout the bush area in the orange zone in the attached map.

Damage to trees in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

“It is appreciated these have been created by children at play in their local bush,” writes Dianne.

“While TCC supports children’s play and creativeness this is not encouraged or endorsed in the native restoration areas around coastal and harbour natural environmental networks.”

She mentions in the letter that some key species of young seedlings and developing trees were sacrificed to create the tracks.

“These tracks now become water run off channels causing erosion and can endanger the houses above.

“This is an area prone to slipping and robust healthy vegetation cover is the best way to mitigate these issues.”

The letter goes on to say that “in due course” the council “will remove all unnatural materials from the site”.

She says this was to allow the “builders time to remove their materials should they wish to retrieve them”.

Trees have been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

A local says that nothing was removed and the structures were left in the bush and have now been used in construction of the new tracks.

In the October 2022 letter, Dianne says that providing the behaviour ceased no further response was needed.

“Please leave this area to restore as a natural environmental sanctuary.”

Trees have again been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Waikareao Estuary Walkway and cycleways

Waikareao Estuary Walkway consists of walking and cycling tracks and boardwalks around the estuary close to central Tauranga and Otumoetai. It is accessible from several locations, and several side tracks lead to and from the walkway. On the western side of the estuary the walkway passes over mangrove tidal zones, and through parks and reserves.

The Daisy Hardwick Walkway and McCardles Bush have been created on land acquired when the area was developed between 1950s and present times and carries the highest grade protection in the area.

Waikareao Estuary Walkway showing location - red star - of McCardles Bush. Image: Google Maps.

The entire Waikareao estuary has been identified by the Department of Conservation as a wetland with international importance, and they have applied a wildlife refuge status over 225ha of sub tidal, intertidal and naturally vegetated foreshore of the estuary, known as the Waikareao Wildlife Refuge.

It means that it is unlawful to disturb wildlife in any way unless authorised in writing.

The Waikareao Estuary is a Special Ecological Area. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Previous breach with fine of over $50,000

The late Sandy McCardle planted much of the area around 40 years ago.

In 2012, Tauranga business owner Brian Kent paid a contractor to cut down 11 native trees in McCardles Bush including established pohutukawa, rimu, pittosporum and other native trees. The resulting mess of foliage and logs left other natives crushed.

Trees felled in  2012 in McCardles Bush. Photo: Corrie Taylor.

Brian wanted to have a better view from his Otumoetai home, and was fined over $50,000 in Tauranga District Court for breaching the Resource Management Act and Reserves Act.  

There now appears to be more bike tracks created over the last fortnight with more trees cut down to create these tracks. Water run off channels again have the potential to cause serious erosion which can endanger the houses located above.

“Nothing got done,” says two local residents, furious at the length of time it took in 2022 for a letter to be sent by council to the vandals despite making “multiple calls to the council to do something”.

“Now rimu, totara and kawakawa - they have cut them down with axes, banged signs into trees, built an area with blue tarpaulin and stacked-up wood pallets. And a professionally built ramp – you can tell that an adult had been involved in building it.”

 “There was a huge axe there. They have built a wooden structure off the ramp, and there’s been paths built and roads for the bikes. Significant damage this time in this protected bush.

“We rang the police last time and they said it’s not their concern and don’t want to get involved, it’s a council issue. But Council said contact police.

“When the council made such a song and dance about the damage done to this piece of bush by Brian Kent, fining him over $50,000, why are they ignoring anything else and doing nothing about it?”

A ruru has taken up residence in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

Neighbours of McCardles Bush are asking what happened to the money paid by Brian after the 2013 breach.

“How much of the over $50,000 was put back into planting and restoring McCardles Bush? It’s very steep land here and we are above it. We know all around New Zealand how land is slipping away with weather changes. The area needs to be planted as it affects the run off from our properties.

“It’s a bunch of privileged people who think they can do whatever they want on this land and destroy it. This is supposed to be a protected area. If you let them continue to do this, you will have no native bush. All the native trees and native birds will be gone."

Trees have been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

Tauranga City Council responds

Tauranga City Council Spaces & Places Operations manager Warren Aitken says council will be investigating the damage to McCardles Bush over the coming days and will take appropriate steps to restore the site as well as understand who might be responsible.

"We were disappointed to hear this area of bush, which is situated in a special ecological area, has been damaged with a number of trees removed."

Warren says c

utting down trees detracts from the area’s natural beauty and damages the ecology of the site, as well as potentially increasing the risk of slips and erosion, which vegetation cover helps to prevent.

Following the 2022 damage and letter, Warren says Council took further action.

"We ensured that any man-made materials were removed and have continued to monitor and preserve McCardles Bush along the Waikareao Estuary.

"Each year we invest significantly into this area’s ongoing maintenance and preservation for our local wildlife and community to enjoy. We do ongoing infill planting as needed throughout our Special Ecological Areas."

Trees have been chopped down and land cleared in McCardles Bush. Photo: Supplied.

Warren asks that "people instead make use of the city’s great mountain biking and cycling tracks, including the Cambridge Road Park, the new home of Tauranga’s international standard BMX track, and Ōropi Grove Mountain Bike Park, which are purposefully designed to cater for riders to test their skills and abilities".

The locals are hopeful that Council will take action to prevent further damage.

"It will be good to see this area restored and the damage repaired before Council are responsible for our houses ending up in the estuary," says one of the neighbours.