One part of east Auckland is looking a little less green after numerous tall trees were chopped down to make way for the Eastern Busway public transport project.
- Anger over removal of large trees to make way for Eastern Busway, Times 22 August
While it’s unfortunate to see trees cut down, the removal of some trees in the short-term is necessary to enable the Eastern Busway project to progress. We know that transport is a significant challenge for locals and the Eastern Busway will provide more frequent, reliable and quicker transport choices for East Auckland.
The Eastern Busway project have advised us that they will be planting natives to replace trees that are removed during construction. The designs that we’ve been provided show an increased number of trees and planting as part of the landscaping along the route. We’ve seen their commitment to sustainability through the deconstruction and removal of houses along Ti Rakau Drive which provided recycling and reuse opportunities.
The Howick Local Board is committed to improving the number of trees through our Howick Urban Ngahere Action Plan, with the goal of increasing our tree canopy cover from an estimated 15% to a much healthier 30%. Last financial year we supported local volunteers to plant 16,420 trees in public reserves, in addition to those planted by council staff in parks and playgrounds. Last week in our feedback on Auckland’s draft Future Development Strategy, we suggested a policy to ensure that established trees lost through development are replaced as part of the consenting process.
To find out more about the Eastern Busway, including how they're mitigating the impact of construction and how to up to date on what's happening check out their website: