Risky redwoods removed from Kerikeri

One of two groups of mature but unstable redwood trees in Kerikeri have been successfully removed ahead of schedule with council contractors confirming that 90 per cent were affected by rot.

Group Manager – Delivery and Operations, Hilary Sumpter says the state the trees were found to be in, once they were felled, showed the right decision had been made.

“Removing the redwood trees was a contentious issue and attracted a lot of interest from the community. Discovering most of the trees were rotten vindicates the risks identified by a council investigation last year.”

The trees, located on Hawkings Crescent and Wendywood Lane, were planted in the 1920s as shelterbelts for orchards. Since then, urban development has surrounded the stands, including retail to the north and Kerikeri Retirement Village and housing to the south.

The exotic trees on council-owned land at Hawkings Crescent have been successfully removed, while the second stand at Wendywood Lane, near New World supermarket, will be removed later this year.

Their removal follows a near-miss incident in April last year during Cyclone Tam when a 30m tree crashed into a shed at the nearby Kerikeri Retirement Village, narrowly missing a gardener, who escaped seconds before impact. A ‘near-fatality’ notification was accepted by WorkSafe. It was the third serious incident involving the trees and the retirement home since 2018.

A review carried out by council staff with retirement village representatives and WorkSafe NZ, included an arborist’s assessment which found evidence of root-plate movement on four trees.

The decision to remove the trees by Far North District Council’s Chief Executive, Guy Holroyd was announced in June 2025 on the grounds that they posed an ‘unacceptable risk’ to life and property. You can read the news story here.

Decisions about significant trees on council reserves usually sit with community boards, which hold delegated responsibility for parks and reserves and consult with affected residents before any removal proceeds. In this case, however, the council had an obligation as the landowner to remove the potential hazard posed by the trees.

The access way between Hawkings Crescent and Jacaranda Place will reopen to the public on Saturday 28 March.

Both sites will be reinstated with mulch from the felled trees. Decisions on the future use of the reserves will be made by the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board.

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Main photo - a stand of redwood trees has been removed along Hawkings Crescent while the second stand at Wendywood Lane will be removed later this year.

Below - the stand of redwood trees along Hawkings Cresent before they were removed.

Watch the before and after transition video: