Residents win tree protection approval despite council doubts

Since the old rock seawall was removed 12 years ago, the beach has steadily eroded, exposing the pohutukawa trees’ roots. Whangateau residents fighting to protect and save six pohutukawa trees along the domain reserve beachfront have won a small victory in a long-running dispute with Auckland Council. Three hundred locals signed a petition to save the trees, whose roots are being exposed and damaged by coastal erosion, and the Whangateau Residents and Ratepayers Association (WRRA) drew up a detailed plan to protect them with stabilising beams. However, council parks and community facilities st...