A meeting planned for next week will help determine whether residents of Wanaka's Old Station Ave escape prosecution over their pruning of council trees.
Queenstown Lakes District Council parks manager Gordon Bailey said yesterday letters had gone out to residents "outlining the council's displeasure" at the council-owned cherry trees being pruned without consulting the council.
Mr Bailey said the letter invited those responsible for pruning the trees to consider providing replacement trees.
"What we essentially say in the letter is that they will need to replace the trees with something we can mutually agree on."
He hoped to have a meeting with residents next week.
If agreement could not be reached, the council still regarded the pruning as "wilful vandalism", so it had "the other option up its sleeve" if it could not get a "satisfactory resolution".
Asked about how the public could best deal with a council-owned tree they considered to be a problem, Mr Bailey said residents should treat the council as their neighbour and get permission before taking action.
"You just need to ring the council. It's quite a simple process."
One of those who admitted pruning trees at the beginning of the month, Allan Chisholm, said he would be happy to meet the council and had already met deputy mayor Lyal Cocks.
Mr Chisholm said he was pleased "the council now recognised there was a problem with these trees. The trees planted are not a good species to have."
