A total of 23 trees will be cut down in the Nelson CBD during the city’s Bridge St upgrade, but three times as many will be planted again.
By Max Frethey of Local Democracy Reporting
The project, Bridge to Better, will see three waters infrastructure upgraded to enable more inner-city living while also taking the opportunity to give the street a facelift.
But 18 trees will be removed from Bridge St as part of the works, along with another two on Haven Rd, which will join the three that have already been cut down on Wakatu Ln.
"We're… cognizant of the fact that some of these trees are part and parcel of what Nelson is all about," said Alec Louverdis, Nelson City Council's executive director delivery.
"But we're also cognizant of the fact that some of them need to come out."
The exotic trees – a mix of Oriental planes, fastigiate tulips, and pin oaks – were planted between 33 and 12 years ago and are not heritage trees.
Over the years, some have had their roots buckle the footpath and curb, impacting accessibility for shoppers and stormwater flows, while others have broken into water pipes under the road, enabling them to massively outgrow their peers.
"We… need to look to the future; there's no use leaving trees in that we know are going to cause a problem with the roots, that are going to affect our existing services," Louverdis said.
"They will cause long-term damage," he said.
Louverdis added that the trees also caused headaches for property owners and businesses, with leaf fall into the street and building gutters a perennial problem.
"You've got to figure out whether they're still fit for purpose in a CBD."
Ten were in "poor health" and would also be removed, but another 12 at the intersection of Bridge and Trafalgar Streets will remain, as well as another two towards Montgomery Square.
The trees that were going to be chopped down would also be replaced several times over.
The final plan for Bridge Street will see about 120 native plants added to the streetscape, around 70 of which were trees.
Root guards will be installed alongside the trees to ensure their roots don't damage infrastructure in the future, and the new trees won't drop anywhere near as many leaves.
Many of the new trees that will be planted will already be a few metres tall to maximise their survivability and ensure some amenity continuity, rather than waiting for the slow-growing natives to grow from saplings.
"I think the balance… is about right in terms of amenity value, in terms of the look and feel of the street," Louverdis said.
"[Residents] may be attached to some of these trees… [but] I think we'll all be pleasantly surprised when we actually see the outcome."
Simon Duffy, manager of promotional organisation Uniquely Nelson, acknowledged that removing the trees was sad.
"It is sad, cutting down any tree, but it is a necessity."
He said some Bridge St businesses had seen their floors warp and utilities impacted because of tree roots, while the yearly autumn leaf drop was always a challenge.
"If it was 40 years ago today… you probably wouldn't have planted those trees," Duffy said.
"They're quite stunning for the city, but there are problems with them."
Nelson – through the Bridge St upgrade and other private projects, like the renovation of Morrison Square – was in the process of modernising, he added.
"At the end of it, we will have a better city."
Bridge St will close again on Monday as roadworks return and, over the next five weeks, the trees that need to be removed will be cut down to stumps in sections.
Options are currently being explored for what to do with the wood. The root balls will be removed later when the road is trenched.
Bridge to Better is expected to be complete by July 2027.
– Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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