Deputy mayor questions Timaru’s fraught relationship with trees

Trees planted in memory of those associated with war services to the country, the trees that lined some of Timaru’s established streets, the biggest and most adored tree in town – all chopped down.

How Timaru came to be a town of tree haters, is a question its deputy mayor has put to the head of the council’s parks and reserves team.

As councillors discussed street tree replacements during the Timaru District Council’s infrastructure committee meeting on Tuesday, councillor and deputy mayor Scott Shannon said “everywhere you go overseas, and in the more beautiful towns in the country, there are more trees, more and more trees’’.

“What are we doing wrong?’’ Shannon said.

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“Although it’s lovely that we are replacing most of the trees, what are we doing wrong here that we’re constantly chopping down trees, chopping the tops off trees, making them shorter?

“We’ve almost created an environment where our residents now hate trees, they hate leaves and the likes.’’

But not all the town’s residents are anti trees, and there is plenty of controversy from those keen to protect them each time a tree of significance comes down.

Almost five years ago, a group of residents tried to save Oak trees on Timaru’s Grasmere St from being felled, to no avail. More than a year later, in October 2018, the mysterious removal of a tree on Quarry Rd had residents stumped and angry.

A year after that, two prominent significant-listed trees at Seven Oaks Reception Centre on Timaru’s Wai-iti Rd were felled.

In 2020, some residents of Te Weka St were left in disbelief when a cherished Dawn redwood tree was chopped down.

Arguably, the most controversial felling in the history of the town came two years later, when Timaru’s landmark ‘Champagne’ tree was unexpectedly felled. Later in 2022, a dozen significant trees on the former site of the South Canterbury RSA were felled to make way for a housing development.

Shannon said he looked around the world, and even to neighbouring Geraldine, “where they don’t chop down all of their trees’’, and saw opportunity around the district’s streets to plant more trees.

“What are we doing wrong where elsewhere around the world they have large trees, and they don’t seem to affect their infrastructure, and they’re not constantly topping them, or chopping them down.’’

The council’s parks and recreation manager Bill Steans said it was a question he had asked himself over the years.

Timaru’s soil, loose over basalt rock, made it more difficult for trees to grow, he said.

“We have narrow berms, we have footpaths and curbs being damaged because the soil type is so compacted the roots run along the surface.

“We have overhead wires.’’

He said, comparing Timaru to Christchurch, there were undulating contours of the land here.

“We have lovely views of the mountains, of the sea. Christchurch is flat, whereas here they [trees] get in the way ….’’

“We don’t have high rainfall, and no irrigation in the ground, and the soil type compounds the issue.’’

This meant trees were not deep-rooted so did not grow as well, he said.

Councillor Allan Booth questioned why trees were being planted in streets where there were skinny berms.

“Are we not making a rod for our own back?,’’ he asked.

“If you prune a tree the roots keep growing.’’

Steans said people either loved trees and wanted more, or hated them and wanted fewer.

“No matter which way we go is getting it wrong.’’

The council’s group manager infrastructure Andrew Dixon said the council was proposing to plant more appropriate species of trees, that would minimise the risk of damage.

Councillors agreed to the removal and replacement of trees in Connolly St, in Geraldine, and Timaru’s Flemington St and Randwick Pl, and Tawa St, from Miro to Barnes street.

In Tawa St, 35 trees will be removed and replaced with 20, while 27 trees will be replaced with 20 in Flemington St, and Randwick Pl.

In Geraldine, all trees in Connolly St will be replaced.