We are ending our daily tree protection vigil at the maunga but will remain very much in action

After maintaining a daily tree protection vigil (Covid permitting) at this maunga for more than 820 days Honour the Maunga will be standing down after Saturday 12 March following the unanimous Court of Appeal judgment that means the trees are safe for now.

The decision found Tūpuna Maunga Authority (TMA) had acted unlawfully by failing to consult with the public over its decision to fell Ōwairaka’s exotic trees. It also concluded Auckland Council acted unlawfully by not publicly notifying the tree felling resource consent. However, the decision also leaves the door open for the TMA to fell the trees in future, provided the consultation obligations are met. Furthermore, the TMA has also publicly signalled its intention to challenge the decision and/or effect a law change to undermine it. This means the trees’ long-term safety is not guaranteed.

However, there is no longer a need for Honour the Maunga to remain here because the trees are safe for the foreseeable future, although we are staying on until 12 March to let the many supportive maunga users from across the city know about the development. Thanks for your support over the past 2+ years - it has been much appreciated.

Although we are ending our physical presence Honour the Maunga will continue advocating for the maunga trees and we are poised to act quickly should there be any move to fell them. Furthermore, we will be campaigning to raise awareness in this year’s local body elections regarding which Auckland Mayoral, Councilor and Local Board candidates do and do not support saving the maunga trees.

We are and have always been an environmentally-focused organisation but along the way have become aware of how the people of Aucklands' voices are being not only ignored but actively silenced by many elected representatives – especially those on the Authority - and unelected parties. This is a big problem that goes way beyond the maunga tree issue.

TMA and Auckland Council have demonstrated destructive, divisive co-governance and we believe valuable lessons can be learned so that this kind of toxic situation can be prevented in any future co-governance arrangements. The Authority has acted in very poor faith in many ways, including misleading the public about its true intentions for the maunga, and deliberately weaponising and inflaming racial tensions to distract attention from its own behaviours.

We are therefore highly sceptical that any future consultation about the trees will be in good faith or representative of true democracy by either the Authority or the Council.

The upcoming local body elections present an important opportunity to let the people of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland who care about the maunga trees’ future to take action at the ballot box so that hopefully the next Mayor and elected representatives will treat the Auckland community and its natural environment with more integrity.