City Vision is pleased protection has been assured for a Mt Eden icon. The mature pōhutukawa at 8 Eglinton Ave has achieved protection in the Auckland Unitary Plan. It had been under threat given a Council omission that led to it losing the protection that it had in the District Plan, prior to the change to the central government tree protection rules in 2012 and it not being transferred over in to the Auckland Unitary Plan as a Notable Tree in 2016.
In April 2021, the City Vision-led Albert-Eden Local Board members and Ward Councillor Cathy Casey spearheaded an urgent campaign to re-secure protection after being advised by residents and the Tree Council that is was no longer protected. This included negotiations for interim protection and a proposed plan change. Over 150 Aucklanders and groups supported Plan Change 68 to protect the tree and the Local Board spoke at the hearing in support of the change.
There is no ambiguity surrounding the tree’s significance. The tree plays an important part in the natural landscape, is highly prominent in the immediate local area and its age is estimated to be more than 150 years old.
Biodiversity has been a priority for the Albert-Eden Local Board since 2010 and the Local Board have granted funding towards maintenance of another protected Pohutukawa tree on private land, undertaken significant planting programmes, stand-alone planting programmes such as “Future Giants” and developed a Ngahere Strategy over the last 12 years.
The Local Board report is here: and the Plan Change decision is here:
The decision on the Plan Change was released on 27 April 2022 and is open to appeal until 9 June 2022.
If you know a tree that should be scheduled, you can nominate it here: