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Pruning or removing trees on public land

With more than half a million trees on public land, they are one of Auckland's most important assets. Trees play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy environment, reduce pollution and keep our city cool.

Auckland’s trees are cared for by a team of professional arborists and urban foresters who are qualified to assess and maintain a healthy tree canopy.

Our tree management is guided by industry best practice, Auckland’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy, and our tree management contract specifications.

Why we prune trees on public land

Our arborists prune our trees to manage risk and maintain tree health and longevity.

Our team monitors tree conditions in urban areas and prune them only when needed. A routine street tree pruning takes place, on average, every five years.

Trees are pruned if they obstruct:

powerlines
footpath and roads
street lighting
vehicle access to public areas
traffic signage and road visibility.

Trees are pruned according to industry best practice.

When we do not prune trees

We do not prune public trees:

to reduce leaf, seed, flower, fruit, or twig debris
to preserve or create views for properties
for solar access or to reduce shade cast
for property development.

We do not practice or condone tree topping, which is the removal of large branches at the top of the tree for height reduction.

Topping can result in weak re-growth, decay, safety issues, increased maintenance, and a shortened life span.

Public tree removal

We may remove trees from public land when they are dead, dying, diseased or dangerous to people or property.

A tree may be removed if:

it is diseased, dead, or incurably declining
it is causing a traffic issue or reducing visibility of a road or footpath that pruning cannot resolve
it is needed to preserve other trees
it is assessed by a qualified arborist as needing to be removed.

When we will not remove a tree

A public tree will not be removed:

to preserve or create views for properties
for solar access or to reduce shade
to reduce leaf litter or tree debris fall
because of roosting birds
for seasonal or minor allergenic or irritant response
for unfounded property damage claims.

Pruning or removing trees on public land

Why we prune trees on public land

When we will not remove a tree

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