Trainee arborists (from left) Nina Black, Austin Finlayson,
Jason Strong (up tree), Ron Jorgenson and lecturer Jerry
Lynch, all of Otago Polytechnic Dunedin campus, are helping
the Queenstown Lakes District Council's tree health and
safety programme work on Wanaka's avenue of trees this
week. Photo by Marjorie Cook.
Ageing heritage trees are being pruned this week in a
project aimed at protecting Wanaka's historic "avenue of trees"
on Mt Aspiring Rd.
Earlier this year, seven diseased heritage trees were removed
from the avenue planted by early settlers near the Wanaka
Station Park homestead.
No trees are being removed during the present operation.
The health of the avenue was reviewed last year as part of a
district-wide identification of hazardous trees, after the
death of Queenstown man Russell Liggett (57) when a tree fell
on his vehicle on Lower Shotover St in September 2009.
Otago Polytechnic arboriculture students from Dunedin are
helping Queenstown Lakes District Council contractor Asplundh
cut dead limbs from the trees.
Tutor Jerry Lynch, of Dunedin, said 13 of the 15 students
taking the year-long national certificate of arboriculture
course were in Wanaka for a week of practical experience.
There was a national shortage of arborists and graduates were
"incredibly sought-after."
"There's one company in Christchurch that could take all of
our graduates ... It's a recession-proof industry. Trees
always need maintenance, people are planting more, and
there's power lines to keep clear, too," Mr Lynch said.
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