Category: News

Media release: Pohutukawa savers

Sunday 18 January 2015

Pohutukawa Savers to Attend Public Meeting

Pohutukawa Savers will be out in force at the SH16 St Lukes Interchange Upgrade community liaison meeting on Tuesday evening, 20th January, to highlight the imminent threat to six heritage pohutukawa opposite MOTAT, five of which are at least 80 years old.

A growing alliance of concerned residents from all walks of life and from across the region, the Pohutukawa Savers invite key decision-makers from Auckland Transport to front up and listen to community concerns. The meeting will be held at 6pm in the Western Springs Community Garden Hall – ironically, just down the road from the trees the group aims to save.

 Auckland Transport claims the trees must go to make space for its preferred intersection design that creates a second turning lane into St Lukes Road. The Pohutukawa Savers believe the trees can be retained via an improved design that also satisfies traffic requirements. They intend to vigorously appeal Auckland Transport’s decision to the Environment Court.

Pohutukawa Savers spokesperson Jolisa Gracewood says, “These grand old trees are a vital element of the area’s history and living heritage. They were planted in 1934 as part of a continuous avenue of pohutukawa along Great North Road, to beautify the newly created public greenspace as a gift to the citizens of Auckland. As such, they belong to all Aucklanders, and are located on open park land under the responsibility of the Waitematā Local Board.”

“These trees form a spectacular streetscape that welcomes visitors to the Western Springs parks precinct. Trees of this stature are crucial to the urban ecosystem, providing shade, air-filtering and stormwater dispersal, as well as a habitat for native birds. People all over Auckland, and beyond, are aghast at their proposed destruction. The spontaneous joy with which people have decorated the trees since hearing about their possible fate shows how valued they are.”

“Sacrificing these healthy, monumental trees would be a hasty, irreversible loss for little demonstrable gain. We know Auckland Transport has workable alternatives to this ‘either/or scenario’, and we believe that smart design can solve the traffic questions while preserving the historic and visual integrity of the space. We are asking Auckland Transport to recognise the value of these trees to Aucklanders of yesterday, today and tomorrow — and to help create a more liveable city by embracing a 21st century design that saves the trees.”

The meeting will be held on Tuesday 20 January at 6pm at the Western Springs Community Garden Hall, Great North Road. All who wish to support the trees are encouraged to attend.

Comment:

Jolisa Gracewood ph 027 513 5923

Christine Rose ph 021 056 3784

The Pohutukawa Savers are an alliance of residents, arborists, engineers, lawyers, and tree-lovers. They administer a Facebook page (2425 likes as of 18 January 2015) at www.facebook.com/savethepohutukawa6/, a Twitter account at @pohutukawa6 with 468 followers, and an online petition which has gathered 1912 signatures from across the country (as of 18 Jan 2015): https://www.change.org/p/auckland-transport-save-the-6-pohutukawa-trees-on-the-corner-of-st-lukes-rd-and-great-north-rd

Remembering Malcolm (Mel) Coom: Speed limit enforcement will save lives

Pippa Coom, Malcolm Coom and Adam Coom Dec 1991
Me, my dad Malcolm Coom and brother Adam. December 1991

Just over twenty years ago my generous, fun loving, warm hearted dad was making plans for an overseas trip. He regularly visited the UK (where his parents lived) but this time he was especially excited about including lots of dancing into his travels leading up to the Rio Carnival. My dad loved to dance Latin American style and was a regular at the old El Inca club on K’rd.

Before he left for the UK he set out on a roadie to visit me in Wellington where I lived at the time. He never made it. At Sanson on SH1 he missed the turn off to Wellington and a few minutes later along SH3 he was killed instantly in a head on crash.

He was 49.

Many years later and now with a role on the Waitematā Local Board advocating for road safety, I’ve come to think of the crash not just as a personal family tragedy but also how it provides an understanding of the “safe systems” approach to creating a forgiving roading network.

Every part of the system failed my dad.

The Road: The signage on SH1 used to be terrible. It was easy to miss the turnoff at Sanson like my dad did. Shortly after the crash Transit upgraded the signage.

The crash occurred where an overtaking lane abruptly ends at the brow of a hill.

Road Use:  The driver of the on- coming car pleaded not guilty (I think the charge was careless driving). He couldn’t remember the crash and could not believe that he had caused it. He thought of himself as a safe driver who was very familiar with the stretch of road.

The Vehicle: My dad loved old cars (unlike his dad who after a working life in the Vauxhall factory in Luton was able to upgrade his car every year). The car he was driving (I think a Rover) didn’t have any driver safety features like air bags.

Speed: The other driver made a mistake misjudging a simple over taking move in a passing lane. Unfortunately his speed gave him no time to react when he found himself on the wrong side of the road.

Even the best drivers make mistakes. What we don’t have to accept is that fatalities and serious injuries are just an inevitable consequence of driver mistakes. A safe system approach means that we can demand a lower road toll and even zero road deaths (“Vision Zero“)  but we all have to play our part.  We need improved road design, safer vehicles, competent road users and safe speeds.

The NZ Police are currently under pressure to get their messaging right about their approach to enforcing the speed limit and need to explain why the road toll has increased during the holiday period (when the trend is downwards). However I absolutely back the Police taking a hard line on speed enforcement (with the posted limit recognised as the limit without fiddling with “tolerances” rounds the edges) . It is a lazy political response to claim  (as Ron Marks MP has done) that speed management is about revenue gathering. It is based on international evidence that reducing speeds reduces the number and severity of crashes.

If anything I would like to see the Police put even more resources into enforcing urban speed limits.  The Waitematā Local Board is advocating for slower speeds in residential areas (starting with a trial) and supports the City Centre Masterplan objective of a central slow speed zone.  Reducing speeds will contribute to liveability and encourage more people to walk and cycle.  And of course easing back on the gas will save lives. 

Safe systems approach explained

Stop the “blame game” – improving road culture in NZ 

Edinburgh to roll out 20mph speed limit across city

The Safe System approach aims to create a forgiving road system based on these four principles:

  1. People make mistakes

People make mistakes and some crashes are inevitable.

  1. People are vulnerable

Our bodies have a limited ability to withstand crash forces without being seriously injured or killed.

  1. We need to share responsibility

System designers and people who use the roads must all share responsibility for creating a road system where crash forces do not result in death or serious injury.

  1. We need to strengthen all parts of the system

We need to improve the safety of all parts of the system – roads and roadsides, speeds, vehicles, and road use so that if one part fails, other parts will still protect the people involved.

Saving the Pohutukawa 6

Pohutukawa 6

Updated on 26 January 2015

Over the Christmas – New Year break the “Pohutukawa Savers” have been busy drawing attention to the plight of the majestic trees Auckland Transport wants to chop down at 820 Great North Road opposite MOTAT. The Pohutukawa 6 are up against the motorway widening juggernaut but there is still time to save them for the benefit of future generations.

Here is an update on the process so far and what steps are available to put a stop to Auckland Transport’s tree destruction agenda.

Back in August 2013 Auckland Transport’s presented “final” plans to the Waitematā Local Board for widening Great North Road as part of NZTA’s St Lukes interchange project to provide for an additional turning lane onto SH16 via a reconstructed St Lukes bridge. AT’s plans included improved cycling facilities and an Leave these treesextended bus lane but also required the removal of six 80 year old Pohutukawa trees. As the trees are on Auckland Council owned open space land zoned for car parking Auckland Transport needed the Board’s consent to go ahead with the intended works.

After many months of reviewing draft plans and discussing the options with the Board (and our Park’s advisors) Auckland Transport’s army of consultants were confident the Board’s sign off was a mere formality. However the Board remained unconvinced with Auckland Transport’s assessment that the only option was for the road to be widened and the trees removed so we refused to grant consent. I reported on the Board’s position at the time.  

A couple of months later Auckland Transport took a different tack by successfully obtaining resource consent for stage 1 works for a single turning lane from Great North Road on to the new bridge.  As landowners the We heart these trees bannerBoard gave approval for the trees to be pruned so the turning lane could be raised to meet the height of the new bridge-subject to a range of conditions. 

However in Febuary 2014 Auckland Transport informed the Board that instead of going ahead with stage 1 as consented AT intended to seek to vary the resource consent and obtain a Notice of Requirement (NOR) to remove the trees.  The application was publicly notified on 6 June 2014 and 65 submissions were received, the majority of which opposed the removal of the trees (frustratingly due to a clerical error 54 of these submissions were disqualified from the process – an absurd situation that undermined the AT wants to kill ushearing – Jolisa Gracewood has documented the experience here) . The Waitematā Local Board was one of the submitters in opposition to the NOR suggesting an alternative design which would have seen the trees retained without defeating Auckland Transport’s transport objectives.  

A public hearing on the NOR was heard in early November over 2 days.  The Waitematā Local Board engaged its own lawyer (the excellent Nick Whittington from Meredith Connell) and expert witnesses to strongly oppose Auckland Transport’s application at the hearing as outlined in the Board Chair’s  statement.

Auckland Transport's planting schedule
Auckland Transport’s planting schedule

Just before Christmas, Council received  the independent commissioners recommendation unfortunately confirming the NOR as lodged, i.e. with the removal of the trees, with the addition of the landscaping plan (photo right) submitted at the hearing.

Next Steps

  • Auckland Transport formally received Council’s (through the Hearing Panel) recommendation on 18 December 2014 and has 30 working days to make their decision on whether or not they accept the Hearing Panel’s recommendation.   They can now make that decision any time up until 20 February 2015. (For the purposes of the RMA, “working day” does not include the period commencing 20 December to 10 January).
  • Save these treesOnce Auckland Transport advises Council of their decision, Council has 15 working days to advise submitters of the decision.
  • Auckland Council (as the Territorial Authority) and/or the submitters may appeal the decision within 15 working days of receiving notice of Auckland Transport’s (the Requiring Authority’s) decision
  • The appeal period runs for 15 working days from Auckland Council’s notification of Auckland Transport’s decision.
  • AT cannot do any of the works under the NOR (which includes the removal of trees) until such time as the appeal period has ended and any appeals resolved.
  • Once the appeal process has been exhausted and if Auckland Transport has permission to remove the trees, Auckland Transport has to seek land owner consent to enter the land. Auckland Council is the landowner. The Waitematā Local Board are the delegated decision makers. If the Board refuses to give consent AT will then have to use the Public Works Act.  At the Community Group Liaison Meeting on 20 January (reported on by Transport Blog’s Patrick Reynolds) Board Chair Shale Chambers said that he would take the decision to a Board meeting so that there would be another opportunity for public input.

historic photo of GNR PohutukawasThe fight to save the trees

The appeal process is likely to mean that Auckland Transport cannot take any steps to remove the trees until well into the year. In the meantime campaigning is underway to put pressure on Auckland Transport to re-look at the options.

Action Station: use this handy link to send an email to David Warburton, CEO Auckland Transport (over 500 have used it already)

Follow and support the campaign on Facebook (Save the Western Springs Pohutukawa)

The Pohutukawa 6 on Twitter

Auckland Council logo facing the chop by Auckland TransportJoin the campaign:a Pohutukawa Savers group is using Loomio to plan the protest action. The history of the trees is also being collated by Jolisa Gracewood . It looks highly likely the Pohutukawas that form a boulevard along Great North Road were planted deliberately on Arbor Day in 1934 for the enjoyment of future generations as part of the formation of Chamberlain Golf Course

Media 

Interview on Checkpoint 17 December

NZTA’s motorway plans affect pohutukawas 

Backyard battler – Patrick Reynolds talks on video about the trees

Pohutukawa tree battle heats up 23 January, Auckland City Harbour News

Brian Rudman’s column 

Push to save 80 year old Pohutukawa trees, 20 January, Radio NZ

Why the Pohutukawa 6 has got people so passionate, 26 January, Transport Blog