At last! Good news for (some of) Auckland's trees
By Laurie Chisholm
For more than two years, our group has been valiantly working to protect 345 non-native trees on Ōwairaka / Mt Albert from the TMA’s insistence that they be summarily felled. But they are just some of the many trees under threat. There are many other places in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland where trees have been unnecessarily destroyed (Canal Road and Western Springs to name but two), but now a new example of egregious Auckland Council inaction and poor asset protection is emerging: Kohimarama Forest.
The land on which the forest grows was due to be sold to developers on 6 December. Thanks to courageous action by the Kohimarama Forest Preservation Group and Cr Desley Simpson the sale has been deferred. This will allow community groups to come up with a viable alternative solution - something we really hope succeeds.
Kohimarama Forest is a 2.3-hectare block of rare remnant native forest in the Auckland suburb of St Heliers. It is owned by the Anglican Melanesian Mission Trust Board. It has many redeeming features that warrant its protection, including:
· Kohekohe, totara, mahoe and kanuka are among the mature native trees on the block.
· A small stream runs through the forest and is one of city’s few opportunities for native fish to venture upstream to spawn.
· The forest is a corridor for bird migration, providing a safe landing spot for birds flying in from predator-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Kereru (wood pigeon), ruru (morepork), riroriro (grey warbler), kotare (kingfisher) and other birds are present.
Laurie Chisholm is a long-standing Honour the Maunga supporter
As beautiful though the forest is, weeds are an issue, so volunteers have spent 1000 hours in the last 18 months weeding jasmine, wild ginger and Eleagnus plants.
In 2013 the forest was flagged as a Significant Ecological Area under the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. Auckland Council heard submissions in favour of this but declined to act in support of the forest, It seems that Council favours developers by default.
Old-think fails to realise the increasing value of such assets in a city beset bu rapidly declining tree cover and limited recreational areas. More recently, Council was given the opportunity to purchase the block but declined that too, not even informing its elected representatives that the opportunity had been offered.
It would make eminent sense in a climate emergency to purchase this forest with its wealth of locked-in carbon. Mayor Phil Goff may have just announced a billion-dollar climate action package to reduce carbon emissions and “deliver more urban tree canopy” but that is words and we are yet to see deeds.
In reality, Council continues to fell mature trees and a successful outcome for Kohimarama Forest is not assured. Given this situation, Honour the Maunga’s struggle to save Ōwairaka’s trees will be an important test case whose outcome will affect the future of trees - particularly non-native ones - all over the city.
