Resident's protest fails to save rata

Port Chalmers resident Christine Robinson sits beside a rata tree in Meridian St that was cut down despite her protests. Photo: Peter McIntosh

The rata, on a Meridian St property, was cut down by Housing New Zealand yesterday.

Housing NZ sent arborists to cut down the tree on Tuesday, but Meridian St resident Christine Robinson protested and delayed its demise.

She phoned Housing NZ but ''they've put me in a queue ...''

The rata was growing on a property that had been unoccupied for seven years.

''I'm really upset, and so are the other neighbours,'' she said.

While ratas are protected on public land, if they are on private land people can do what they like with them, the Department of Conservation said.

''Housing Corp's (Housing NZ) owned by the public, so in theory it's public land,'' she said.

The tree was cut down due to shading issues, which Housing New Zealand had every right to do, a Housing NZ spokesman said.

''It's our tree in the middle of our property.

''It [the tree] is not protected and a very common tree.'

mark.quinlivan@odt.co.nz