Springdale Park will be closed 13 January for a month for tree removal.
The trees were originally planted during the development of the subdivision in the 1970s. However, the young trees were never pruned and have subsequently grown large and misshapen or leaning dangerously.
The trees will be removed by ground-based harvesting and the wood will be taken out via the Massey University paddock and Atawhai Park. All the smaller branches will be chipped and spread back on the forest floor as a mulch.
Removing these large trees will leave a gap in the canopy, but we will be leaving stumps where possible to minimise the disturbance to other existing trees and understory plants, which will assist them to grow up to fill up the gaps over time. Where there are large gaps, young native trees and shrubs will be planted during the winter months.
Following the completion of the tree removal, we will arrange a neighbourhood meeting to discuss future developments in the gully, including plant species and the location of plantings, reinstatement of the walkway, and community involvement in plantings.