11 Mar 2010

Battle to save tree goes to High Court

10:32 pm on 11 March 2010

An environmental group has been granted an interim High Court injuction while it challenges an Auckland City Council decision about a pohutukawa tree.

The Tree Council was on Wednesday granted the injunction to challenge the city council's decision not to notify the public under the Resource Management Act about the tree's fate.

The pohutukawa is on a site in Avondale being developed into a business park.

Tree Council chair Sigrid Shayer says the 10 -hectacre site has been cleared except for the pohutukawa and an oak, both of which should be protected.

She says the trees are 80 to 100 years old, and it is difficult these days to get the space for trees to grow to this size.