Council trees

Council maintains numerous street trees around the Waitaki District. These are located in our parks, gardens and reserves, as well as along many of the streets in our townships. These trees provide many benefits, including:

• Providing shade the heat of summer
• Filtering stormwater water and reducing flooding
• Making our surroundings more beautiful and peaceful
• Making urban areas more attractive
• Filtering pollutants from the air

Our policy on Council trees

In regard to maintaining street trees, our policy is the following:

• We will only carry out remedial action on trees (eg pruning or felling) if they contravene the Waitaki District Plan, are damaging paths or fences, or are a health and safety concern.
• Where Council trees are overhanging private property, we will consider pruning these on a case-by-case basis as far as practicably possible, without destroying the form and integrity of the tree.
• Where we receive requests from property owners regarding Council tree-related problems (eg loss of views, loss of sunlight, or excessive leaf litter), we will evaluate the situation and consider ways to help resolve the problem. However, at no point will consideration be given to the removal of a Council tree unless it is causing damage or is a health and safety concern.
• Any work undertaken on Council trees (including pruning) must only be undertaken by Council contractors to accepted arboricultural practice.
• We may consider allowing Council trees to be removed at neighbours’ cost in special circumstances

If a tree on the roadside or in a reserve is causing a problem, contact us with information about:

• What the problem is with the tree
• Where the exact location of the tree is

Please note that Council will not become involved in neighbourly disputes about trees. For more information on how to manage these, please go to Tree issues page.