A Matua resident recovering from a stroke is questioning how an Australian native tree has made it onto the city's protected list.
The tree in question is a Kurrajong tree, also known as an Illawarra Flame Tree, located in Matua's Levers Rd.
The tree Matua resident Robert Lauder wants removed.
The tree is about 30m tall and its roots are lifting and tilting the concrete driveway of number 227, owned by Robert Lauder.
Robert's brother Mervyn Lauder raised the issue at a Tauranga City Council meeting last week, saying his brother is recovering from a stroke and is concerned about keeping his footing on the slippery, tilted concrete under the tree at the end of his drive.
Robert wants the tree removed, which Mervyn says is the best option for himself and the council, as it will be faced with on-going costs of repairing damage caused by roots as the tree continues to grow. The tree is 50-60 years old.
In 2007, council was required to replace about six metres of footpath due to damage caused by the tree. About 30 metres of drive was also replaced at the time and the costs were shared. The driveway near the tree is now raised by 100-150mm, says Mervyn.
Because it is a protected tree, the Lauder's options are limited. If the council doesn't act the family will be obliged to apply for resource consent: a lengthy and expensive process that the Lauders do not wish to embark upon.
'There would clearly be a long-winded and costly process for Bob, as a means to deal with a tree of such dubious value,” says Mervyn. 'It is not a New Zealand native, it is considered a weed in Australia.”
Councillor Murray Guy says Bob should have been was given the opportunity a couple of years ago to object when the tree was placed on the protected list.
'If the tree is identified of being immediate risk to person or property, council staff do have the ability to make a decision,” says Murray.
The information was presented in the public forum, as an advisory to council. No decision was made.
12 comments
Trees before People
Posted on 17-06-2013 10:25 | By Colleen Spiro
Cut it down, it is destroying his property, and will affect his health. I have been looking at houses to buy and sometimes a ginormous tree on a neighboring property has been enough to put me off. I have lived without sun for 28 years, because of a huge 2 storey house came and built after me and will no longer live in anyones shadow. People BEFORE trees in residential areas.
Trees before People
Posted on 17-06-2013 10:25 | By Colleen Spiro
Cut it down, it is destroying his property, and will affect his health. I have been looking at houses to buy and sometimes a ginormous tree on a neighboring property has been enough to put me off. I have lived without sun for 28 years, because of a huge 2 storey house came and built after me and will no longer live in anyones shadow. People BEFORE trees in residential areas.
red tape
Posted on 17-06-2013 11:09 | By tundra
Typical council red tape.Its a no brainer!Cut it down and stop wasting our hard to earn money we pay on our over the top rates!Enough is enough!Another example of council wasting time and money.
Councillors fixed on the rules
Posted on 17-06-2013 13:38 | By Councillorwatch
If you regularly read Sunlive you'll see that some councillors are fixed on rules being rules. One was moaning the other day that rules could be abused. I say implement some commonsense and forget these school prefect type rules in the first place.
CHOP IT
Posted on 17-06-2013 14:23 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Chop it down! If it's on his property and he owns the property I don't see what the council can do about it, especially if it's affecting his health.
TREES
Posted on 17-06-2013 14:37 | By Lois
Yes cut it down and let the poor man recover from his stroke. I too live in a lovely house we built for the sun (in Matua)and the neighbour put an avocado tree in next door, it takes all our sun and by 12 midday our whole house is in the shade. We are in our 70's and we don't want the fire going all day.
leave the tree alone.
Posted on 17-06-2013 15:16 | By the kurgan
buy some shoes with good grippy soles or paint the path with non-slip paint. bunch whinging sooks, always blaming a tree for some problem or another, As Chopper Reid would say -"HTFU"
Cut it down
Posted on 17-06-2013 17:12 | By Johnney
If Robert was a corporate like a supermarket then council would simply bow down.
Aussie tree
Posted on 17-06-2013 17:20 | By VICTOR1
Chop it down please!! If this was on a Business premises OSH would have it removed as a "Potential Hazard" to people walking on the footpath. Careful Support Worker
Posted on 17-06-2013 17:35 | By whatsinaname
rules are made to be broken. cut the bl.................... tree down. cuasing nothing but dangerous situations.i can see its been trimmed for power wires and now looks ugly. get tid of it
chop it down
Posted on 17-06-2013 19:43 | By vonnie
It makes you wonder how the tree got on the protected list in the first place...would a NZ tree be put on an Aussie protection list...I don't think so....
The wedge's thin edge
Posted on 18-06-2013 07:17 | By bridp
One person has poor health, so we remove anything that MAY cause them to stumble? Kerbing, letterboxes, fences, parked cars, shrubs, children are next on the endangered list in this sterile suburb.
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