Promotion of tree awareness

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 3

Promotion of tree awareness

PA Wellington The Year for Urban Trees will be launched by the Minister for the Environment, Dr Shearer, at a ceremony in Wellington on Arbor Day, June 5. The year is designed to: • Promote greater public awareness of the need to protect trees in towns and cities, and local planning that is more sensitive to the ecological importance of trees in urban areas. • Encourage planting trees in urban areas. • Stimulate a review of the effectivesness of legislation in protecting urban trees, and methods by which this legislation can be improved.

• Encourage development of national standards to evaluate the importance of urban trees. “Too many New Zealand towns and cities lack adequate tree cover, and too many trees in urban areas are being damaged or destroyed by individuals or local authorities when other options are available, or better planning would have avoided the problem altogether,” said Dr Shearer yesterday. The Minister will inspect a rata tree in central Wellington which the Commission for the Environment has identified as an example of the problems facing trees in inner city areas.