Arborists and tree jobs in Manawatū-Whanganui

Palmerston North, Whanganui and the towns between

Palmerston North has its own page, including one on tree trimming in Palmerston North. Powerco lists tree contractors for Manawatū, Whanganui, and Taihape and Raetihi, and jobs from Feilding, Levin or Whanganui go through the same form.

Notable trees in Palmerston North

Palmerston North City Council protects trees of significance through its District Plan, with the rules in Section 17 and the list in Appendix 17C. It treats minor trimming, the kind done with secateurs, and removing dead or diseased vegetation differently from bigger work. Removing part of a notable tree or digging under its canopy needs a full council assessment and a consent application.

The council asks owners to talk to it first, and keeps a list of preferred arborists. Whanganui, Horowhenua and the other districts have their own plans; our tree rules page explains how consents work.

Boundary trees and hedges

Palmerston North City Council says trees on private property contribute the most to the city's canopy, and they are mainly on property boundaries. A hedge growing through a fence has to be cut back to your side. Anything over the street should clear the footpath and berm by at least 2.5 metres, and the road by 5 metres.

You can cut back a neighbour's branches or roots where they cross onto your property, but talk to them first. Claims for damage can go to the Disputes Tribunal, and orders to trim or remove a tree come from the District Court; our neighbour's tree guide has more.

Wind off the ranges

NIWA says the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges and the Manawatū Gorge strongly shape the wind in the south of the region. Palmerston North's dominant wind is west-northwest, with gusts over 63 km/hr on an average of 50 days a year, and gales are most frequent in winter.