Bush legislation criticised

Press, 21 April 1982, Page 6

Bush legislation criticised

A blanket protection designation should not be placed over the Baxter’s Bush native trees on Mount Pleasant, some of the suburb’s residents told a Christchurch City Council planning hearing yesterday. The residents own land that contains the trees, which slope down in a bush-filled gully below Mount Pleasant Road.

Objectors to a “notable trees” designation over the 10,W0 sq.m native bush plantation said that the protection they had given to the scenic area over many years was enough. Mr Richard Johnson, an assistant town planner, admitted that the landowners had “exercised care and reasonbleness over many years,” and that their management practices were not inconsistant with district scheme protection of such trees.

There was no restriction on landowners carrying out normal maintenance work on native trees in the bush, he said, but the council would control main or potentially damaging work under a scheme variation.

Mr Walter Fielding-Cot-terell, the council’s tree specialist, said a 1979 survey had shown no . individual specimen in the bush that would warrant inclusion on the notable tree list.

The bush in its entirety was “rather. unique in this case, being the most extensive area of pure native trees and shrubs withjn the City Council boundary,” he said.

Except for the houses and some sealed areas ■ built within it, the bush had been allowed to grow in a naturaal manner, he said. He said the only felling or clearing work had been confined to

the removal of dead and wind-damaged material. Baxter’s Bush was planted in the 1920 s by John Matthew Baxter, a city nurseryman. Mr Baxter brought thousands of plants to the hillside, collected from both islands. Mr L. W. McCaskill, the Canterbury naturalist, helped collect and plant some of the bush after trips with Mr Baxter to -the high country.

Mr McCaskill has said that the bush was one of the finest native gardens made in New Zealand. In the 19705, the area became the site of a running battle between some residents and the Christchurch Drainage Board after stormwater disposal changes allowed more water to rush down the bush gully and gouge out part of the streambed. Mr -Johnson told the hearing that questions about the bush watercourse’s stability were matters for the Drainage Board and residents to resolve.

In submissins to tjie hearing, residents said that “personal integrity and a love of 'nature are a far better means of preserving forests and bush than any amount of legislation.”

Mr Johnson said that objectors saw total area protection of the bush as a forfeiture of ther rights as landowners.

Notable tree protection requires council consent for removal • of listed trees, or pruning, and groundworks within the crown periphery of a listed tree.

Mf Johnson said that a bush designation would mean that Baxter's Bush was the only case in the distrct scheme where notable trees had occupied an entire site.