The first stage of a green makeover for New Plymouth city centre starts on 28 April with a pilot project to remove Devon Street’s aging alder trees.

Around 22 of the oldest and most at-risk trees will be removed between Egmont and Elliot streets to be replaced with a mix of shade trees and street-level greenery.

The first group of 13 alders between Brougham and Robe streets will come down this month and the other eight between Egmont and Eliot streets will be removed in autumn next year.

“This is part of our City Centre Strategy vision for a greener, family-friendly city centre where people want to shop, stop and enjoy. This will cause some brief disruption to traffic as we need to keep people and property safe, but the footpaths will remain open and we’d ask people to bear with us while we carry out this work,” said NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison.

“We’ll be replacing the trees with natives and if they’re a success over the next six months, we’ll be looking to roll them out along the length of Devon Street in the city centre.

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Our city centre is the business, cultural and social hub of our district and the strategy is a partnership between NPDC and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū to keep it thriving for residents, jobs and businesses,” said Conrad.

The work to remove the first group of trees is expected to be completed by 2 May and the new planting will be later in May.

Check out our vision for the city centre at npdc.govt.nz/CityCentreStrategy.

FAST FACTS

• Retailers petitioned to remove the alders in 2020 claiming falling leaves and seed pods were a nuisance for building owners and pedestrians.
• In 2020 Councillors agreed to replace the Italian alder trees along Devon Street with planting informed by the City Centre Strategy.
• All 70-odd alder trees between Gover and Robe streets are pruned every two years to keep their height down.
• The felled trees will be chipped and used as mulch in our parks and reserves.
• Councillors approved the City Centre Strategy including proposals for a green makeover in December 2021.
• The Mayor and Councillors approved $500,000 split over two years in the 2024-34 Ten-Year Plan.

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