The protection of trees and issues over their removal remains a hot topic with Aucklanders.
Central government’s removal of general tree protection in most urban areas has shifted focus on how remaining tools for protection of urban vegetation are performing.
The Schedule of Notable Trees in the Auckland Unitary Plan is one regulatory tool.
The Schedule contains nearly 3000 items (representing some 6000 trees), the majority of which were ‘rolled over’ from previous council schedules as part of the Unitary Plan process.
The Schedule is currently undergoing a full review to amend inconsistencies and errors. A plan change to fix these issues will be notified in 2018 to ensure the Schedule is up to date and correct.
Once a tree is scheduled, protection remains with the land and cannot be removed without a formal process.
Information relating to scheduled trees (or vegetation protected by other methods under the Unitary Plan, such as Significant Ecological Areas – SEAs) is available by viewing the Unitary Plan and the accompanying maps www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/unitaryplan The full scheduled list is found in Chapter L – Schedule 10.
Check before you chop
The golden rule is ‘check before you chop.’ If there is any doubt over whether a tree or groups of trees are protected, call the council on 09 301 0101 for information.
