Replanting Begins at Tekapo

Recently milled pine trees near the Tekapo township will be replaced with a walking track, native trees and young pines. .Mackenzie District Council Community Facilities Manager Garth Nixon says the Tekapo Community Board and council representatives recently met with interested residents to discuss the future of the land to the south of Murray Place.

Two blocks of land are involved. The first, known as “Area B”, was a stand of very old pine trees growing adjacent to Murray Place. These pines were planted about 50 years ago, were at the end of their life and were a safety risk to residents.

Mr Nixon says they have now been removed and the area has been “root raked” to clean up the surface of the land. The community board and residents have agreed on to establish a walking track along the top of the bank following what is known as the “skid track”.

Irrigation will be installed along the top of the bank and the area will be planted with brown top grass to cover and preserve the ground. After that, the area will be progressively replanted over the next few years with native trees and grasses.

“Our priorities at the moment are the walking track and the irrigation,” Mr Nixon says.

The second area is known as “Area A”. This was a block of mature pine trees in a gully further to the south of Murray Place and was bordered by the resource recovery park to the west and the new cemetery to the east. The trees in this area were part of a commercial pine plantation and fully mature. Over winter they were logged by the Forestry Board.

Mr Nixon says Area A was replanted with young pines by the Forestry Board in early September and will continue to be a recreational and forestry asset for the benefit of future generations. The original walking tracks through the forest have been re-established and are open for use

The Forestry Board is also planning to do some clean-up work around the tarn below the cemetery in the near future.

“I would like to thank the resident’s group for their interest and enthusiasm in this matter,” Mr Nixon says. “With their help we have been able to re-plant parts of the forest, while continuing to provide for recreational use in the long-term.”

ENDS

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