Pōhutukawa tree vandalised with saw at Waiake Beach Reserve

Caroline Williams Reporter from North Shore Times

A large pōhutukawa has had one of its branches chopped off by “vandals” two days after Auckland Council asked for feedback on the tree's future.

Auckland Council and the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board started consultation on a branch of a large pōhutukawa tree at the Waiake Beach Reserve in Beach Rd on Monday.

The branch in question hangs low over a boardwalk which leads under Beach Rd, leaving 1.4 metres for people to walk under.

By Wednesday, vandals had taken matters into their own hands and lobbed off the branch with a saw, leaving the remains in the estuary below. However, the remainder of the branch still impedes the boardwalk.

“The illegal incident is incredibly disappointing and is being investigated by the council,” head of area operations and community facilities Julie Pickering said.

Anyone with information on the vandalism should contact Auckland Council on 09 301 01 01.