School grounds

Don’t ‘leaf’ tree maintenance undone

As a school board, you must maintain trees so they don’t become a hazard to students or to neighbours. Some trees are protected and you should talk to your local council before trimming or removing them.

Schools must maintain trees on their property so they do not become a hazard to students or staff. Some trees are protected, and will require contacting your local council before trimming or removing them. Payment for maintenance should come from your Property Maintenance Grant (PMG).

Maintenance

Trees need to be regularly trimmed. If they get too big, they become costly to maintain and difficult to remove. Large trees can also be a hazard in high winds and can block light and affect neighbours. Trees can also be a health and safety hazard around a swimming pool. For that reason, be sure to remove trees close to the swimming pool to prevent leaves and branches falling in and contaminating the water, and to prevent people trying to jump from the tree into the pool.

Protected trees

Check if a tree is protected. Some trees are protected such as naturally established native trees, trees with historical, cultural or botanical value and trees protected on the certificate of title, which might need a resource consent to do anything to them. If your school has a protected tree you may need resource consent for activities near it such as excavating or digging, depositing material close to the tree, construction work, putting in pipes or power lines, and storing things under the tree. Although resource consent is probably not needed for maintenance, such as trimming or removing dead branches, it is best to check first.

Some councils have general rules around removing trees, so contact your local council or Heritage New Zealand to find out if any trees at the school are protected. The Ministry of Education suggests visiting the Heritage New Zealand website for more information in regard to protected trees. If a protected tree needs emergency work to deal with a hazard to people or buildings, such as a damaged branch that may fall, you can contact your local council for advice.

Pay for maintaining or removing trees

PMG covers general maintenance work on trees such as trimming and removing dead branches and removal of a protected tree with council consent. However, the 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding cannot be used for maintenance. It is only for capital improvements to buildings and other school facilities. Content kindly provided by the Ministry of Education and adapted to fit this magazine. More information can be found at www. education.govt.nz.

Tāne Mahuta is the largest living kauri tree in New Zealand. However, trees don’t have to be as old or large as Tāne Mahuta to be protected. Naturally established native trees, trees with historical, cultural or botanical value might be protected. Do you have any protected trees on your school campus? If so, a little digging into why the tree is protected can be a fun and interactive way to teach students about native wildlife or local history.

Servicing Aucklands schools for over 45 years

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