Removal of second redwood stand to begin

Work to remove a second stand of unstable redwood trees on council land in Kerikeri is due to begin on Monday 7 September.

The trees border residential properties on Wendywood Lane, as well as a walkway accessing Kerikeri High School and the New World supermarket carpark.

A decision to remove the trees was made in the wake of a near-miss incident in April last year during Cyclone Tam, when a 30m tree on nearby Hawkings Crescent crashed into a shed at Kerikeri Retirement Village, narrowly missing a gardener who escaped seconds before impact.

The potential for these trees to fall has been assessed as a significant safety concern because of their proximity to residential properties, pedestrian routes, surrounding businesses and community facilities.

Specialist arborist contractor OS Safe Tree Ltd will carry out the work in a managed way to protect residents, workers and nearby facilities. The work is expected to take 6-8 weeks.

Work will begin at the New World end of Wendywood Lane and will progress towards the school grounds. The contractor and council have encouraged the schools to use their parent alert apps, school notices or other channels to remind students and parents about the closure and the need to choose alternative routes.

The redwoods will be removed using controlled sectional cutting with cranes, elevated work platforms and specialised rigging equipment used where necessary. The site will be fenced, and traffic and pedestrian management will be in place.

The tree stumps will be ground below ground level, and logs, mulch and other green waste will be removed from the site. Disturbed areas around the trees will be reinstated once the work is complete.

Residents may experience some noise, vibration and increased vehicle movements during working hours. All reasonable steps will be taken to minimise disruption, dust and noise.

Background

The trees, located on Wendywood Lane, were planted in the 1940s as a shelterbelt for farmland. Since then, urban development has surrounded the stands, including retail and housing.

The Proposed District Plan lists the redwoods as notable, making their removal a ‘restricted discretionary’ activity. However, if emergency works are required to prevent imminent danger, removal is permitted under the Resource Management Act.

You can read more about the project here.