Unauthorised native plantings not meant to offend

A guerrilla gardener concedes he did "jump the gun" when he planted more than 50 natives bushes in a central Dunedin park without official say-so.

Steve Macknight said the 58 broadleaf natives he planted along one side of Queens Gardens last week, without approval from the Dunedin City Council or the RSA, were not intended to upset anyone.

He meant for the plants to be a small, positive change which would screen the area from busy traffic.

"I didn't sort of have full approval as such, but I just thought it ... was so minor that nobody was too concerned about it," he said

Mr Macknight said he had been in talks with the council about the work and had approached the RSA, who use the gardens for commemoration events, but did not hear from them.

"Because I hadn't heard, my feeling was they weren't too concerned," he said.

"What we were doing was positive and fitted in with what the park management was, and so I sort of thought that it wasn't a big deal."

He said he had encouraged the council to do the work for years and was frustrated that "it's actually very hard to do very small things".

"It would be really nice if we found ways, perhaps not just go off and do them, but a way of talking to the council [and] getting quick and easy approvals for things that are positive.

"We obviously were in discussions and then probably for me to then jump the gun before I got a direct reply was a frustration to them.

"So, that's fair enough. I'm not saying anything here was done perfectly. And I have annoyed people and I have tried to apologise."

Mr Macknight, RSA representatives and council staff would discuss next steps for the site at a meeting next week — he said he wanted the plants to stay.

He estimated he spent about $3000 on the plants and had not expected to be reimbursed.

Asked if he regretted the plantings, Mr Macknight said sitting back and doing nothing got him nowhere.

"So I've been trying to be a little bit more proactive and see how that goes."

Council general manager climate and city growth Scott MacLean said the council was aware the plants had been added over the past weekend by Mr Macknight.

The council had previously agreed to consider what options might be possible for plantings in the area, Mr MacLean said.

"We also said that we would need to discuss any options with the RSA, which is yet to happen and at no point was permission given for any planting."

RSA Otago-Southland district president Lox Kellas said he was aware of plantings, although he had not seen them and would reserve comment until after the meeting.

ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz