1828 days ago

Auckland trees an 'eyesore' after being cut in deep V shapes to avoid power lines

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

Good morning Auckland neighbours,

Auckland residents are up in arms after a row of trees was turned into an “eyesore” in a bid to protect some power lines.

Residents of Alford St, in the central Auckland suburb of Waterview, woke up last week to find the trees on their berms cut into deep V shapes.

John Jones, who lives opposite one of the trees, said they were “quite an eyesore”.

Auckland Council’s regional arborists and ecological manager David Stejskal said the trees were pruned by contractors Treescape as part of routine maintenance of trees growing under power lines.

The overzealous pruning was brought to the council’s attention by a local board member.

Officials have since visited the site and spoken to the contractor about the unacceptable nature of the pruning, Stejskal said.

“The power lines clearance programme needs to strike a balance between the regulatory clearance required to protect power lines and maintaining the viability of the tree,” he said.

Our contractors agree to clear trees to regulatory and contract specifications and best practice guidelines which in this case were not carried out.

“We are currently speaking to Treescape about what needs to be done to remedy the situation.”

Treescape confirmed it is working with the council to remedy the situation.

“We understand the concerns of the residents, and we’re working together to resolve the issue,” a spokesperson said.

“That’s all we can say at this stage.”

What do you think of the way the trees have been cut?

*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.

Image
More messages from your neighbours
6 hours ago

Scam Alert: Bank cold calls

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.

🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.

Remember, banks will:​​
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes​​
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device​​
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.

If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.

Image
3 days ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

Image
4 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.

Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.

For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.

Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?

We hope this brings a smile!

Image