A new policy directing a proactive approach to controlling wilding pines has been adopted by the Central Otago District Council despite objections from elected members and a member of the public.

The issue has become contentious after residents were upset by the felling and proposed felling of both planted and self-seeded pines near Cromwell and Alexandra. 

The trees were valued by some as landmarks and for recreation.  

The fate of pines at council’s Half Mile reserve is yet to be decided by the Vincent Community Board (VCB) after the public were asked their opinion on the felling - which was halted after public objections - and on a landscape plan to replace the trees.

At a meeting on Wednesday (July 6) councillors debated at length whether or not to adopt the policy. 

Councillors Martin McPherson (also the VCB chair) and Lynley Claridge both felt strongly that a policy directing council to remove all wilding pines and seed-source pines from its land, should not be adopted until the Half Mile issue was resolved. 

“It has not yet been decided if those pines will be removed,” Martin said.

“It concerns me that as a council we are now dealing with a wilding pines policy when the VCB is currently consulting on a wilding pines issue. It’s a bit like the cart has got before the horse”.

Lynley believed adopting the policy without waiting for a decision by the VCB was “undemocratic” and “steamrolling” the process.

The Central Otago Conifer Control Group’s own policy document, tabled at the meeting, states social research has shown a clear correlation between knowledge and awareness of the wilding pine issue and support for wilding pine control. 

It also shows the level of public awareness of the issue is low, although higher in localities where wildings are an issue.

One of that group’s aims is educating the urban population “on the need for constant wilding control in areas where a decision may be made to leave trees for a justified reason (e.g. shelter, recreation, wood harvest)”.

Councillors acknowledged people sometimes had an emotional attachment to such trees and the timing of adopting the new document was not ideal but a district policy was necessary.

In the public forum prior to the meeting Half Mile resident Ken Churchill told councillors the consultation aspect of the new policy was “a shocker”. It outlined that community boards and adjacent neighbours would be told of upcoming felling work and a sign would be erected at the site. It did not give time frames for when those parties would be told.

Ken has spoken against the felling and criticised council’s consultation process at various VCB meetings.

He is one of a group of 35 residents who supported a 10-page report arguing for the trees to remain.

In response to discussion of further consultation of the tree policy during the meeting, CODC chief executive Sanchia Jacobs advised that funding for wilding pine control had been set in the council’s Long-Term Plan and that this was a publicly-consulted document. 

“This council has taken a position already on what it does with wilding conifers on council-owned land. It did that in the Long-Term Plan which it consulted on.”

The issue may not, however, have been “highlighted” to the public at the time, the meeting heard.

Mayor Tim Cadogan and deputy mayor Neil Gillespie made a bid to have the CEO create a consultancy document for the draft wildings policy before it was adopted, but this failed.  

A report to the VCB containing a summary of responses to the Half Mile survey is expected to be presented in September.