Tree removal in East Auckland: what's local
Howick's listed trees
Howick was set up in 1847 as a defensive outpost settled by fencibles. Schedule 10 lists pōhutukawa and a Norfolk Island pine on Cook Street, pin oaks on Meanda Gardens and English oaks on Patons Road.
Creeks and the river
Much of East Auckland is a peninsula between the Tāmaki River and the Tāmaki Strait, and land along Botany Creek, Pakuranga Creek and the river is alluvial (laid down by water). Altering or removing vegetation within 10m of an urban stream needs consent.
Cliffs and wind on the bays
The northern cliffs of Eastern Beach show some of the most obvious folded rock in Auckland, and NIWA's Musick Point station logged a 148 km/h gust on 2 August 1982. The Unitary Plan covers natives over 3m tall near the top of steep coastal cliffs.
Volcanic patches
Parts of Half Moon Bay and East Tāmaki are basalt tuff and lava flows from the Auckland volcanic field, so the ground under one section can be quite different from the next.
Council tree rules in East Auckland
Old oaks and pines on Howick sections, pōhutukawa on the bays, and trees along the creek edges are the common questions. Near the water, outside rural zones, a native over 3m tall within 20m of mean high water springs needs consent to alter or remove.
The Howick Local Board covers most of East Auckland, but the tree rules come from Auckland Council's Unitary Plan. Our Auckland permit page explains how to check, and notable trees explains the schedule.
Storm damage and fallen trees in East Auckland
Stay at least ten metres from damaged lines and call Vector. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 111. Work within four metres of a network line is for approved utility arborists only.
Hiring an arborist in East Auckland
If the tree is in old Howick, check Schedule 10 before anything else. If the section backs onto a creek or the river, measure roughly how far the tree is from the water: within 10m, ask Auckland Council before work starts. For a big tree on an exposed bay section, get it looked at before the winter gales.