Tree protesters claim victory 'for today' after occupying Avondale site

Tuesday, 5 January 2021

Around 40 people showed up on Tuesday morning to stop the removal of a 150-year-old macrocarpa tree (first published on January 5, 2020).

Tree advocates protesting the removal of a 150-year-old macrocarpa in West Auckland say they have won the battle for now, but the “war” is far from over.

A crane was brought to the site of an Ockham development on the corner of Great North Rd in Avondale on New Year’s Day to prepare to remove the tree, protesters Steve Abel and Zane Wedding said.

But, on Tuesday, they said workers had told them the crane was going to be removed.

Meanwhile, calls were put out to have people gather at the site to protest and prevent the tree’s removal.

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A protester in the 150-year-old macrocarpa tree on Tuesday morning, opposing its removal.

Auckland Council approved Ockham’s proposal to remove the tree at the site of its 117-unit Aroha development in late 2020. The non-notified consent “disgusted” the Tree Council.

Ockham said its “careful designs” had enabled the preservation of three of four scheduled trees on the site, and that the macrocarpa in question would prevent building “on much of the land” if it stayed.

Protesters are calling on Auckland Council to save the scheduled tree.

But Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also opposed the removal of the tree, telling Auckland Council it expected to see the tree “protected and retained”.

“While it is not a native tree it still plays a significant role in the ecosystem and the community of Avondale.

“Culturally we consider the mauri of the habitat as a whole and this tree will support a number of native animals, including birds, invertebrates and fungi.'”

One protester locked himself onto a crane on Tuesday morning to prevent work being done.

In a statement, secretary Mels Barton said the Tree Council opposed the removal of the scheduled tree and the decision to make it non-notified.

“The Tree Council is disgusted at the way this public heritage asset on public land has been handled by Auckland Council. Clearly the protection offered by scheduling our most important trees in the Unitary Plan is meaningless.”

Abel said workers arrived around 7am on Tuesday to find people sitting around the base of the tree as well as on a platform in it.

One protester even locked himself onto the crane to prevent it being used.

Arborist Zane Wedding speaks with people gathered at the site to protest the removal of the tree.

About an hour or so later, an Ockham employee came to the site and confirmed the crane would be removed from the site, Abel claimed.

“We have won the battle for today but the war continues,” Abel said.

Abel said the macrocarpa tree was one of the oldest trees in Auckland’s suburbs and was in good health.

The number of people protesting at the site on Tuesday morning prevented any work being carried out.

If it was looked after, it could live another 100 years, he said.

“We see it as a wonderful compliment to housing intensification. No-one has any issues with housing intensification. It sits right on the boundary of the property.”

Abel said Ockham wanted to remove the tree as it created shade for apartments it was intending to build at the site.

But Abel said shade was a good thing and the tree could be beneficial to its development instead of a problem.

The tree is at the site of Ockham’s Aroha development in Avondale.

“Ockham have already done developments in Grey Lynn where they have let big trees stand right alongside the building, that are taller than the building, that touch the building.

“This could be one of those trees. It could be something that people living in those apartments are looking into, the canopy of this magnificent old tree. It becomes a wonderful asset for the project rather than a hindrance if they just think differently about how they do it.”

On Ockham’s website, founder Mark Todd said all consents for its Aroha development, including the removal of the tree, were issued non-notified as they were in accordance with the Auckland Plan.

“There are four scheduled trees on the site at 1817 Great North Rd, and we’re glad our careful designs have enabled the preservation of three of them.

“But the position of the fourth – the macrocarpa – in the north corner of the site would prevent building on much of the land.”

Todd said keeping the tree would leave a “major portion” of the site unsuitable for housing.

“A large project like Aroha involves finding solutions for the local setting. And so we applied for, and successfully obtained, resource consent for the removal of the tree.

“This process included the council’s urban design panel experts approving the design of Aroha and supporting the removal of the macrocarpa.”

Arborist Zane Wedding said despite Ockham agreeing to have the crane removed, nothing changed for those protesting the tree's removal.

Wedding said they would stay vigilant as bringing the crane in on New Year’s Day had proved the removal could take place at any time.

“We understand that Ockham’s resolve to remove this tree is strong,” he said.

“We have to remain vigilant.”

Auckland Council has been contacted for comment.