Deluge worsened by pest trees

The 10 May river of rain deluge was made worse for residents of Anne St, who suffered surface flooding as a result of a drain blocked by the hard fig-like fruits of the Brisbane umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla), officially listed as a pest species.

Despite Auckland Council promising to clear the drains before any major weather event, residents were knee-deep trying to clear debris from the drain beneath the trees while water flowed over the road and up their driveways.

Most Anne St residents support the campaign for the removal of the trees, described by the Brisbane City Council as an environmental weed that is ecologically invasive.

Auckland Council’s arborists, who do not live in Anne St, describe the two trees as healthy, as if that is an overriding consideration. Of course, they are “healthy”, but these are pests with invasive roots that block plumbing joints and pipes and a surface root system that is a health and safety risk for anyone walking down the footpaths.

If atmospheric rivers are the new norm, Anne St is in trouble unless Auckland Council finally gets its act together and decides that resident safety, flood risk and pest-species control are more important than so-called “canopy cover”, which no one uses or wants.

John Harvey and Judy McGregor

Once more: how about a coastal park?

Recently attending the special grand opening of the William Sanders Retirement Village, where landowner Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei was represented, reminded me of the numerous letters I have written over several years, to no avail, suggesting Ngāti Whātua consider establishing – with the assistance of Auckland Council and others – an Oneoneroa/ Belmont Regional Coastal Park on part of their coastal land at the end of Eversleigh Rd, Belmont.

This would be a wonderful legacy project for North Shore schools to become involved in replanting to eventually create a land-based version of Tiritiri Matangi scientific reserve.

Bruce Tubb

Muddy hell: mowing after rain takes toll on turf

The nice man on the mower was just as upset as I was to see the state of the park after his machine had cut the grass. But he has no option as this is the day scheduled for him to mow it. From here, he was going to go to Takapuna to cut up parks in that suburb.

My question is, why does this have to happen after the downpours that we have experienced in the past week?

Surely someone in the council parks department can decide that this maintenance should be done only weather-permitting? No one will be able to use this park for possibly a month when it is in this condition.

I think that is unacceptable. I wonder what other Devonport residents think of this mess.

Kathy Farquhar