Mabel Howard Reserve

Ingrid from Sydenham

I live next door to Mabel Howard Reserve in King Street, Sydenham.
Over the past 6 months or so, the maintenance of the reserve has declined considerably with the grass not being mowed as regularly as it was and weeds being left to take over.
In early December, I noticed the two chestnut trees in front of the reserve(one close to my driveway) were looking sick, with the previously healthy leaves suddenly dying off. On further investigation, I noticed some of the flower beds in the reserve had been sprayed with weedkiller, in the vicinity of the trees and near the playground area.
I called Christchurch City Council and lodged a complaint and asked if the trees could be looked at asap in the hope of saving them.
This week I finally received an email from the council's community parks team leader, part of which reads "I’ve passed your concern about the two trees to our arborist team, who will investigate further. The spray used by our maintenance teams is called Bio-Weed Blast, an organic product, and would not cause any decline in the trees or be applied near playground equipment. Mowing and gardening are now handled by council staff, who are proactive and committed to delivering the best results".

Just wanted to share this in the hope some others may raise concerns with the council as well.

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