The first two trees have been replanted in Teal Park as part of the Quay Street Cycleway Extension. The new home will allow the trees to thrive and improve the park.
The rest of the trees are being prepped to be removed over the coming weeks. The trees are being removed early in the morning when the temperature is cool and traffic volumes are low. This enables a small section of the road to be closed and the tree to be moved safely by crane. The work is being monitored by an arborist.
15 trees, 14 pohutukawa and one houpara, are being moved and replanted around the city centre. This will allow the median strip in the middle of the road to be narrowed to accommodate the traffic lanes, bus lanes, parking and the new cycleway.
While some trees are able to be replanted straight away, others will be replanted in several months and cared for during the construction process.
There is an after-care programme in place, and Auckland Transport will look after and maintain the relocated trees for 36 months after replanting.
How we prep the trees for relocation
- prior to excavating the root balls of the trees, the trees are sprayed with a product to reduce loss of moisture
- the root balls are excavated carefully and primarily by hand with the assistance of a small excavator where required
- the excavated root ball is wrapped to reduce soil moisture loss before transporting to the new location.
The same care would be given whichever season the trees would be relocated.
