Trees deserve our protection

I want to thank all those who responded to our call to vote in the inaugural Tree of the Year 2022 competition. The aim of Rākau o te Tau – Tree of the Year NZ Aotearoa is to highlight significant trees in our communities and to share what makes them important. We asked people via social media and our website to vote for Kerikeri’s 200-year old pear tree. Located on council-owned land by the Stone Store, this tree is thought to be a Williams bon chrétien (good Christian) pear and is the sole survivor of 185 fruit trees and grape vines planted in the area. These were the first recorded exotic trees planted in New Zealand making the pear the oldest surviving exotic tree in New Zealand.

The Kerikeri pear is one of six trees around the country to be nominated in the competition and the only one in Northland. The winning tree will be announced on Arbor Day Sunday 5 June. Of course, it is impossible to say that one tree is more important or deserving than another and I’m sure many of you can name other trees you feel should be named Tree of the Year. You will have a chance to nominate those trees and to tell their stories during next year’s Tree of the Year competition. I think this a great way to remind us how important trees are to our environment, our history and our communities. Recognising that is the first step in protecting our significant trees.

The Kerikeri pear tree is already protected under the Schedule of Notable Trees included in the District Plan. It is illegal to damage or remove trees on the schedule. The Resource Management Act also has provisions to protect and maintain indigenous vegetation. Due to the huge number of trees in the district, a high threshold is applied before trees can be recognised as ‘notable’. We do this using the Standard Tree Evaluation Method. Criteria include size, position, the presence of other trees, species scarcity, the tree’s role in a particular location, life expectancy, and scientific, historic and cultural values. There are currently 147 notable tree sites protected in the Far North by the schedule. Many are single trees, but other sites are groups of trees. In 2017, we asked Far North residents to nominate exceptional trees that should be protected under the schedule. There was also an opportunity to nominate trees when the draft District Plan was released early in 2021. Your next opportunity to add trees to the schedule will be when the Proposed District Plan is notified later this year. We’ll keep you updated on exactly when that will happen so you can make formal submissions on the proposed plan. While our preference is to protect trees on public land or on the property of the person nominating a tree, trees on private land can also be protected by private covenant. Whichever tree wins Rākau o te Tau on Arbor Day, the result will be an important reminder of how important trees and our natural environment are to our communities.