Tūpuna Maunga Authority's Inconvenient Truths

Letter to Western Leader’s Editor in response to inaccurate Tūpuna Maunga Authority comments (Page 9, 24 March 2020).

Tūpuna Maunga Authority continues to dodge the inconvenient truths about its plans to fell nearly 2000 exotic trees from Auckland’s volcanic cones (maunga), including 345 from Ōwairaka / Mt Albert. It’s time to let the facts speak for themselves:

FACT 1: A Treaty settlement gave 14 maunga to a collective of 13 iwi / hapu (Ngā Mana Whenua) on the condition that the land be held in trust for the common benefit of Ngā Mana Whenua and the other people of Auckland. “The other people” includes Māori shut out of that settlement, as well as people of other ethnicities. All maunga are public reserves and public access is guaranteed.

FACT 2: There is no evidence that Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s 12 members ever voted to fell all the exotic trees nor was the public asked about this before the felling programme began last year on Mangere, Pigeon Mountain and Mt Wellington.

FACT 3: The non-notified resource consent for felling Ōwairaka’s exotic trees - nearly half of its entire tree cover - was approved in February last year. The public weren’t told until late October, only two weeks before felling was due to begin. Furthermore, that resource consent was approved many months before the Authority had even finished consultation on its big-picture plan for Auckland’s maunga.

FACT 4: Following public uproar over Ōwairaka’s trees, the Authority held a hui for people to state their views but would not allow questions to be asked. It refuses to hold a public meeting to answer people’s questions.

FACT 5: Tūpuna Maunga Authority and Auckland Council face a Judicial Review in relation to this issue, which will be heard in the High Court on 8-9 June.

FACT 6: It will cost Auckland’s ratepayers more than $1 million to fell Ōwairaka’s trees alone, including up to $30,000 per tree where helicopter removal is required.

A kereru in a cherry tree at Ōwairaka / Mt Albert.

FACT 7: Trees are only a tiny portion of the 13,000 native plants to be grown on Ōwairaka. Most are grasses, flaxes and low-growing species. It will take a life-time for any trees to grow to maturity, significantly reducing habitats and food for the many native birds and other lifeforms that live there.

FACT 8: Arbourists and ecologists from all over New Zealand have been in touch to say best practice succession to native vegetation takes decades. They don’t speak out because they depend on Auckland Council and other local bodies for work.

FACT 9: It is misleading for the Authority to imply that a tree is a pest just because it is under consideration. That’s like claiming to have won an Olympic medal when all you did was run the race. According to the Auckland Regional Pest Management Strategy, only seven individual trees on Ōwairaka as listed as pests: 1 x privet, 5 x monkey apples, 1 x Norfolk hibiscus.

FACT 10: An ever-growing group of ordinary everyday people maintained a 24/7 vigil at Ōwairaka from 11 November until the Covid lockdown. More than 9000 have signed a petition to save the trees. People from all over New Zealand – and the world – have voiced support.

Tūpuna Maunga Authority can play with words and twist the facts all it wants but these truths speak for themselves.