Two ash trees in Wanaka's prized "avenue of trees" on Mt Aspiring Rd face the chop if the developers of Stoney Creek Retirement Village obtain resource consent from the council or Environment Court to build a 97-unit apartment complex.
The Wanaka Community Board decided yesterday to conditionally approve an application by Stoney Creek Village Ltd to remove the trees so access can be formed to its 1.83ha site, off Mt Aspiring Rd.
The approval is subject to the Queenstown Lakes District Council parks manager being satisfied the access design protects the health of a third ash specimen.
Wanaka resident Bruce MacAndrew presented a submission in the public forum on behalf of a large group of neighbours who oppose the removal of any of the 20 trees in the "avenue of trees".
"[We] would like an assurance from council that the trees only be removed in the unlikely event that resource consent is granted," Mr MacAndrew said.
QLDC senior policy analyst Sue Mavor told the board she agreed with Mr MacAndrew the trees should not be felled unless the development received resource consent.
When the issue was raised with the board in October, the parks manager Gordon Bailey said he believed the trees were protected under the district plan.
The board had many questions, so the matter was deferred so staff could do more research.
They discovered a resource consent committee in 2000 gave a previous owner of the land permission to create one access road from Mt Aspiring Rd and that "a minimal number of trees, preferably the poorest specimens" would have to be removed as a consequence of building access.
The rest of the trees along the road frontage were then vested in a scenic reserve and protected.
That was seen to outweigh the loss of the trees at the access point.
The two trees earmarked for removal are on road reserve.
One is regarded as a poor specimen.
Earlier this month, Stoney Creek Village Ltd held a pre-hearing meeting with neighbours to discuss some of the concerns being raised in submissions.
