Tree removal on the North Shore: what's local
Listed trees in Takapuna and Devonport
Schedule 10's North Shore section names pōhutukawa on Audrey Road and Blomfield Spa in Takapuna and on Arawa Avenue in Devonport, English oaks on Anzac Street and Auburn Street, and in Devonport a magnolia on Albert Road, an Algerian oak on Cheltenham Road, a jacaranda on Church Street and a kauri on Buchanan Street.
Sandstone cliffs along the bays
The Shore is mostly uplifted Waitemata sandstone, and the bays facing the Hauraki Gulf have eroding cliff faces. The Unitary Plan covers natives over 3m tall within 20m of the top of a cliff steeper than 18 degrees when it's within 150m of mean high water springs.
Clay and an old crater
Wikipedia's North Shore article says clay soils made farming the inner Shore difficult. Lake Pupuke in Takapuna is a volcanic maar, one of the oldest features of the Auckland volcanic field, so ground conditions can change within a few streets.
Two local boards, one rulebook
Kaipātiki and Devonport-Takapuna are the two local boards wholly on the Shore, but the tree rules are Auckland Council's, written into the Unitary Plan. A tree in Northcote and one in Takapuna are checked the same way.
Common tree jobs on the North Shore
The jobs most likely to come up here are coastal pōhutukawa reductions, notable tree trimming inside the plan's limits, and big exotics leaning over fences. Near the water, rule E15 needs consent to alter or remove a native over 3m tall within 20m of mean high water springs, outside rural zones. Our pōhutukawa guide covers how they grow.
The Shore filled with houses quickly after the Harbour Bridge was built in 1959, so plenty of gardens are now decades old. Start any consent question with our Auckland permit page.
Storm damage and fallen trees on the North Shore
NIWA's North Shore station logged its highest gust, 95 km/h, on 8 October 2005. North Shore homes are on Vector's network: for a tree on a line call Vector, and only approved utility arborists should work within four metres of a network line.
Hiring an arborist on the North Shore
If you're in Takapuna or Devonport, check the Notable Trees Overlay before you get quotes, because both have listed trees on ordinary residential streets. On a cliff-top or beachfront section, assume a native over 3m tall needs a consent check and ask the arborist to put the plan for it in writing.