Remains of toppled trees may serve city

The remains of the Anzac Ave trees which collapsed and crashed in last week’s heavy winds in Dunedin could be made into firewood.

The elm trees, some of which were more than a century old, were uprooted, toppled and, in one instance, crashed into the Hocken Library, as the city was battered by high winds.

But Dunedin City Council contractors have been working hard over the past few days to clear the wreckage, and have managed to salvage some of the wood for the public.

Shortly before the cleanup, the uprooted trees in Anzac Ave became a brief social media sensation, as onlookers took photos, climbed on them and generally marvelled at the sight.

DCC group manager transport Jeanine Benson said it was considering how best to make some wood available to the community, either as woodchips or firewood and potentially through community groups.

Dunedin is not the only city grappling with all the excess wood as a result of the storms — in Invercargill, the council has decided that logs and trunks would eventually be made available as free firewood for the community or milled for other use.

matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz