By Greg Presland

As previously described, the Government is proposing to remove blanket tree protection for Titirangi’s and Laingholm’s trees.

If the Resource Management Reform Bill is passed then the Council will only be able to protect trees by specifying them or groups of them located on a specific property in the District Plan.

This proposal is totally unrealistic in Titirangi.  There are just too many trees.  If each of them was listed then many of their siblings would have to give up their lives to ensure that their future was protected, such would be the paper requirements of the plan.

And it is all very well talking about the individual rights of landowners but in stability sensitive Titirangi and Laingholm one of my trees may ensure that my neighbour’s house does not through erosion disappear down their bank.  What is wrong with respecting my neighbour’s best interests?

And besides, Titirangi and Laingholm are special because of their trees.  Why shouldn’t us locals be allowed to say this and put in place even the most basic of protections for the forest?  And if we do not have blanket tree protection then slowly but inevitably Titirangi’s and Laingholm’s trees are going to be felled.

Submissions are important.  The best way to persuade a Government not to do something is to show that the proposal is very unpopular.

If you want to make a submission then there are a few things to bear in mind:

1.  Submissions have to be in by February 28, 2013.

2.  Decide if you want to appear in person.  Personal submissions have greater effect.

3.  There is no magical form but the following is a draft submission containing things  you may wish to include.  If you want a word version then you can download one here.

“Date

The Committee Clerk

Local Government and Environment Committee

Select Committee Office

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

Submission on the Resource Management Act Reform Bill

1.              This submission is from:

Name:

Address:

Daytime phone number:

Correspondence should be addressed to:

2.              I wish/do not wish to appear before the Select Committee at Auckland in support of this submission.

3.              I wish to oppose the removal of the Auckland Council’s ability to provide blanket protection for trees in the Titirangi and Laingholm areas for the following reasons:

• Trees provide the area with its character and are the most significant part of its amenity.
• Most of the area is stability sensitive and any clearing of the forest or of individual trees will adversely affect the stability of the area and the control of stormwater.
• Native trees in this area form the fringe of the Waitakere forest.  Many are not assessable for their individual value, but form part of an ecosystem.  They provide essential habitat for indigenous biodiversity.
• While removing one tree may have hardly any effect, the cumulative effect of this legislative change over a period of a few years could be very significant both for the built areas and for the integrity of the forest.
• Removing trees and bush will adversely affect the quality of the surrounding forest and allow for the invasion of weeds.
• Trees in the area contribute to the value of my property and clearance by others of trees on their properties will adversely affect my property value and potentially it’s integrity due to stability issues.
• The requirement to identify individual trees or groups of trees in the District Plan is hopelessly impractical.  There are literally millions of trees in the area and the job of listing and categorising them would involve huge amounts of time and resources.

Signed:”

You can file submissions either by post or by using Parliament’s online submission uploader which is here.

If you cannot make a submission then there is an online petition that you can sign.