The owner of the Auckland property besieged by protesters battling to save a 500-year-old kauri is "mortified" by the media and community reaction to his plans to fell the tree.
Architect John Lenihan plans to build two housing sites on the land in Titirangi, which he bought in April 2013.
Mr Lenihan said he had received emails containing death threats to him and his family and had passed them to the police.
He emphasised that it had been a private property purchase.
"We have at every step of the way followed both the appropriate level of engagement with council, including planners, geotech engineers, arborists and ecologists. We have also consulted with seven iwi groups and received support," he said.
"Whilst we regret that it [the kauri] has to go to make the plans work, the alternative was to destroy more native forest below.
"As law-abiding citizens within the community of Titirangi, who have done nothing but followed a normal process of obtaining a consent to build a dwelling, this is clearly very disturbing and upsetting."
His comments come as Conservation Minister Maggie Barry weighed into the debate.
On Facebook, she said today she was surprised by the Auckland Council decision not to notify her of their decision to remove the kauri, which she refers to as a 200-year-old tree, not 500-year-old as experts believe.
"As the Minister of Conservation I am very concerned that a mature kauri tree is under threat of being felled. Today I've asked the Department of Conservation chief executive to have urgent discussions with the chief executive of Auckland Council to find a way through this.
"I've been told that the Auckland Mayor [Len Brown] is now working with his officials in an effort to resolve the problem."
