Native bush ‘smashed’ by felled trees

Press, 7 May 1983, Page 1

Native bush ‘smashed’ by felled trees

A “hideous mess,” caused by felled pine trees in Montgomery Park, has upset residents near Hill Top on Banks Peninsula. Native bush in the area was "badly smashed” when the trees were cut down. Mrs T. F. Latham, whose father, Mr W. H. Latham, gave the land to the Wairewa County Council, wrote to the council complaining of the “devastation”. "They have made such a terrible mess. It is just hideous,” she said. “A lot of people are very bitter about it.” ' ' ■ . The remaining debris was two metres thick in some places, covering a walking track in the scenic reserve. Access to a hostel had been cut off. Two rimu trees had also been cut down, she said. Mrs Latham said the council “just fobbed us off’. "They told us that it was better that the pine trees came down together rather than one or two at a time.” The Wairewa County Clerk, Mr A. F. Aydon, said that contractors had been hired to do the work a month ago. The council had decided it was time the trees were felled. It was partly acting on advice from an honorary ranger for the Lands and Survey Department on

Banks Peninsula, Mr A. W. Ericson. Mr Ericson, who won an award for conservation of native bush, said that the native bush would regenerate within a few years, even though it had been “badly smashed”. It had a “remarkable” ability to recover, he said. The exotic trees planted among the native bush “did not belong”. He had been recommending for about 15 years that the council take them out. Many of the trees had been blown down in 1975 and caused “a terrible mess”. “The native bush has recovered from that,” said Mr Ericson. “They may hot have done it as some people would have liked but you could not go in and take them out inch by inch using a wheelbarrow. Helicopters could have been used, I suppose, but who would pay for that?” Although he had only driven past the area, Mr Ericson said that he was happy with the work done. The debris would shelter the regenerating native bush. Some people would see it as untidy but in 10 to 15 years those people would be happy with what had been done. The native bush would have grown back, he said.