Council seeks input on notable tree register

Historic and beautiful trees help to create attractive environments. That’s why the South Wairarapa District Council has protected trees in the Wairarapa District Plan on almost 100 sites across the district.

Some people believe more trees in the district warrant such protection. The Council has decided to update its list of protected trees and now seeks community input on the desirability to include other trees on the list. The Council will work with a professional arborist to assess the merits of such inclusion and will use the nationally agreed STEM criteria to make decisions about any changes to the current list.
The Council will also seek the views of the owners of the land on which the tree is situated, as it prefers to not include trees when the land owner has strong objections.

Council has commissioned Hans van Kregten of Kaha Consultancy Ltd to progress this plan change.
As part of this work, the local community boards in Featherston, Greytown and Martinborough have been approached with an invitation to put forward additional trees that may be included. Likewise, the Council’s Maori Standing Committee will be invited to suggest additional trees.
 
Council will also consider suggestions to attach identification plaques to all trees that are protected.
Mr Van Kregten says that if Council believes changes to the list are warranted, a formal change process to the district plan will be followed. “This process will be open to public submissions, but at this stage the process will be as informal as possible. If people believe that additional trees should be protected, they are invited to advise the Council by 15 September 2017 with details of such trees and the reasons why the tree should be protected.” It is Council’s intention that any plan change be formally promulgated later this year.

The Council can be contacted by email through Council planner Annabel Hobson (Annabel.Hobson@swdc.govt.nz)