After a third day of protesting, Auckland council's parks and recreation committee has decided to refer the issue under urgency to the development committee.
Tree climber Michael Tavares who climbed a 500-year-old West Auckland kauri tree in a bid to save it from being felled Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Auckland Council had initially allowed the removal of the trees so developers John Lenihan and Jane Greensmith could build two homes.
The council said it was satisfied all measures were being taken to minimise the effects of the tree removal and ecological value of the Titirangi site.
A protest sign on one of the Kauri marked to be cut down. Photo: RNZ / Lauren Baker
The owners of the property consented to cut down the 500-year-old tree and a 300-year-old rimu, but some locals had been vocal in their opposition.
The council said the developers had chosen to build the homes close to the road to minimise the number of trees that need to be removed.
It said it understood concerns but the zoning on these sites allowed for development if environmental effects were considered.
It was now being called on to urgently decide the fate of the trees, after a third day of protesting.
The council's parks and recreation committee this morning decided to refer the issue under urgency to the development committee as a regulatory matter.
But Waitakere Ranges local board member Saffron Toms said the community would really like to see councillors take a position on the matter today, not tomorrow.
Ms Toms said it could set a dangerous precedent if they were cut down.
She said the kauri was internationally recognised as an endangered tree species and faces extinction.
"Yet here in New Zealand we don't seem to have any respect for it," she said.
Cunliffe offers to climb kauri
Meanwhile, local MP Labour's David Cunliffe was offering to scale the kauri as part of efforts to save it, but had been warned by his leader to be careful.
Mr Cunliffe said the tree was iconic and he would be happy to climb it or even just hug it.
"I have been to Titirangi and hugged many kauri but not this particular one.
"It has a non-notified consent, but the issue is, that consent was issued subject to changes made by the National government which means not even the neighbours, let alone the community, were consulted."
Mr Cunliffe said he was not the best with heights but saving the tree was a cause worth supporting.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little was not keen to scale the tree though and he had a word of warning for his MP.
"I'm unlikely to - I don't see a space in my diary. I would just caution David Cunliffe to be very careful."
ACT Party leader David Seymour had another suggestion.
"If you really love the kauri tree, and I love kauri trees, then what you could do is start a kickstarter account, raise the money, and buy it off the guy, rather than tramping on his property rights."
Prime Minister John Key was asked for his opinion on whether the tree should be cut down.
"Well, it is obviously an old tree, but I don't have any other details, I haven't read the report - it's over 70 pages long."
Mr Key said he was not prepared to offer a personal view on whether the tree should be saved.
At the site, a protester was going into his second day 25 metres up the kauri tree, vowing to hang in there until the tree was safe.
Michael Taveres, who scaled the tree yesterday morning, said he had a comfortable night in a hammock.
Speaking from high in the tree, he said that if he did come down, the kauri would come down straight after him.
"My safety is guaranteed, the safety of the tree isn't, so that's the issue up here."
Mr Taveres said while the council was saying it could not revoke the consent to cut down the tree, the protesters thought it could and wanted it to do so today.
He said trees and wilderness areas were losing their protection because of changes to the Resource Management Act and the amalgamation of councils under the super city.
Police issued Mr Tavares a verbal trespass notice yesterday afternoon.
About 100 protesters have gathered around the trees to try to prevent them from being felled this morning.
So this grand old taonga stands another day, let's make it permanently protected tomorrow. Good night friends & whanau #SaveOurKauri
— Michael Tavares (@thewildernerd) March 9, 2015
