As with all living things, trees have a life cycle. Since February 2022, there have been 15 incidents where individual or groups of trees have fallen.

The trees through Bothamley and Cannons Creek Park were planted around 50 years ago which means many are now at the end of their life cycle.

To help reduce the risk to public using the park and houses along the ridgeline, we have an opportunity with the wastewater pipes upgrade to remove any trees that are vulnerable. Removing some of the trees will not only future proof the park but also create an opportunity to replant and landscape the area to make it more environmentally sustainable, safer and user friendly for the community.

We have had to remove all the pines trees that are near the walking track or neighbouring houses between Bellona Place and Champion Street. In addition, work will be starting shortly to remove the pine trees along the ridgeline in Cannons Creek Park.

Many of the pine trees will remain in Bothamley Park. We will be leaving some of the trees that are well away from the main track through Bothamley Park, as well as the trees in the eastern parts of the park, near Waitangirua, because these are not affected by the wastewater pipe works. Leaving these trees will keep some habitat for birds that like roosting in high trees.

Before we start to fell the trees, we are checking if there are any lizards in the area, and if there are, we will be relocating these to an appropriate alternative location within the park. You might notice some stacks of wood being created in the park. These are to create habitat that is great for the lizards to move into.

We have only identified a range of pine trees and Macrocarpas which are vulnerable and need to be removed from each park. 

Pine trees and Macrocarpas are not native to Aotearoa, New Zealand. This work provides an opportunity to replace pine trees with a range of appropriate native plants which will help to support the park’s environment.

Throughout the two parks, we’ve identified around 500 trees that are vulnerable and need to be removed.

The tree removal provides an opportunity to landscape and plant a range of native plants throughout the park. We will continue to work alongside local residents, community and development partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Porirua City Council to create something that not only meets community aspirations, but is also sustainable for future generations.

The work will be delivered in stages throughout 2023. To enable work to start on upgrading the wastewater pipes through Bothamley Park, we started removing pine trees in early 2023 and work to remove the pines along the ridgeline in Cannons Creek Park will commence shortly.

When we fell the trees, we need to make sure that people are a safe distance from the works. The park will be closed in the areas that we are working, and we will ask people in neighbouring homes to be out of their houses when we are felling trees nearby. We expect that people affected may need to be out of their homes for a few hours while the trees nearby are being felled. Our site teams will visit people that are affected and work with them to confirm the exact time that they will need to be out of their homes. The site teams will look to accommodate any requirements that neighbours may have, as much as possible.

The areas where trees are being felled will be mulched or hydroseeded (sprayed grass seed) to minimize runoff of sediments (soils) into the stream. In winter 2023, we will begin planting native trees in the areas, where the pine trees have been removed. We have been working with landscape specialists and Ngāti Toa Rangatira to choose the right trees and plants for the park. The trees will be locally grown.

The pines will be removed by a qualified clear felling crew and in some instances arborist crews to safely remove the trees.

The Reserves Act does not include any consultation requirements specific to pines. However the public notification for the fast track consent for the wastewater pipes upgrade did. In addition, the Wetland engagement also included some information on pine removal specifically in Cannons Creek Park.

There is a revegetation plan which we have created in partnership with Te Rā Nui, Eastern Porirua Development partners Porirua City Council and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. This is currently being finalised and Porirua City Council will be approving the plan in their capacity as regulatory authority, not in their capacity as land owner.

If you have any questions you can call the Porirua City Council contact centre on 04 237 5089, Monday to Friday between 8:00am - 5:00pm to arrange a chat.

Creating a Parks Landscape Plan helps set the direction on how we can enhance the accessibility, safety and function of Bothamley Park, Cannons Creek Park and Cannons Creek Lakes Reserve. The Parks Landscape Plan will outline how we can make the most out of each space to best meet the needs of the community now and into the future. The plan will also feed into the wider Te Rā Nui, Eastern Porirua Development work programme to improve public spaces alongside housing in eastern Porirua.

Eastern Porirua has a great diversity of open spaces and recreation facilities, ranging from sports grounds, recreational reserves, scenic reserves, playgrounds and local neighbourhood parks. However, we know that Bothamley Park, Cannons Creek Park and Cannons Creek Lakes Reserve need some improvements to ensure they are safe and fit for purpose.

In 2019, the community told us that:

• The three parks are underutilised
• There is low visibility and poor water management
• There is a lack of accessibility and safety
• There is significant water pollution within Bothamley Park due to the old wastewater pipes
• Cannons Creek Park has poor drainage at the bottom of the park
• Cannons Creek Lakes Reserve has issues around public safety, vandalism and anti-social behaviour

Creating a Parks Landscape Plan will provide a guide on how we could enhance Bothamley Park, Cannons Creek Park and Cannons Creek Lakes Reserve to meet the needs of the community now and into the future.

Absolutely!  We will collate all feedback received in 2021 and share a Parks Landscape Plan with more specific examples of how we could enhance Bothamley Park, Cannons Creek Park and Cannons Creek Lakes Reserve.

Any work outlined in the Parks Landscape Plan will need to be staged and further consultation will be carried out before we start making any significant changes to the parks.

The Parks Landscape Plan sets the direction on how we can improve the parks, for example, if there is community support for more facilities, these will be incorporated into the plan.

The plan will be delivered in partnership between the community, Te Rā Nui, Eastern Porirua Development, Porirua City Council and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The work will be staged and there will be further consultation required before we start making significant changes to each park as outlined in the Parks Landscape Plan.