Roadside tree rules set down

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 404, 17 September 1991, Page 5

Roadside tree rules set down

At last Friday's meeting of the Ruapehu District Council a number of problems relating to trees on road reserve throughout the district were brought to the attention of councillors by general manager Cliff Houston who submitted a report by RDC technical services director, Bruce Dobson. He asked councillors

to consider the following classifications of trees on road reserve in order to distinguish between the various situations: those planted by Council for soil stabilisation purposes; those planted by Council for aesthetic or amenity purposes; those naturally occurring native trees associated with adjacent stands of native

vegetation; those planted by adjacent property owners (including previous owners); those planted by Council for commercial exploitation; self sown exotic trees. An example of those planted by adjacent property owners was given as those long sections of macrocarpa trees along the Oru-

akukura Road (near Raetihi) whose side branches are encroaching over the road carriageway. There are also lines of poplars on this road. Council agreed to adopt the following resolutions:- • Trees which threaten the integrity of the road by the destabilisation of embankments, or by the encroachment of roots or leaves onto the carriageway, or into culverts, or which are likely to become a traffic hazard, shall be removed as soon as possible. • The removal of trees which may in the future cause roading

problems shall be removed only after approval has been granted by the General Manager, who if he considers the removal shall cause some objection, shall refer the removal to the appropri- . ate Committee of Council. • Trees planted by the Council for aesthetic or amenity purposes shall have agreed maintenance programmes adopted prior to planting. • Any new trees planted by residents shall have specific approval from the General Manager and any unauthorised plantings shall be removed at the expense of the per-

son responsible. • Self sown exotic trees shall be removed as soon as possible. • In answer to a question from a councillor (who said she had four small trees on the road

reserve outside her house) Cliff Houston advised anyone in urban centres who wanted to plant trees outside their properties to get consent and advice from Council as to what trees would be suitable.