A Māori-led Māngere-Ōtāhuhu community group is preparing to occupy Mt Richmond / Ōtāhuhu after learning that Auckland Council has recently issued a non-notified resource consent to allow Tūpuna Maunga Authority to fell hundreds of exotic trees there.
Local resident Shirley Waru (Te Rarawa o Ngāpui / Te Uri o Tai) lives nearby and has been growing increasingly concerned about the Authority’s plans to rid Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland’s volcanic cones of around 2500 non-native trees.
Ms Waru, who leads the Respect Mt Richmond / Ōtāhuhu group, does not know exactly when the Authority plans to take Mt Richmond’s trees down but says she and other locals will occupy the maunga if and when the chainsaws come out.
“In 2019 the Authority destroyed a stunning grove of around 100 old olive trees here, leaving dry, barren eroding ground in their wake. The ruru (moreporks) left and never returned.
“Now they want to come back and wreck the rest of the forest.”
The current resource consent is for felling 278 of the maunga’s 443 exotic trees – nearly two-thirds of the maunga’s total tree cover. However, the paperwork states the project’s objective is to “remove any species not originating in NZ (exotics) from the maunga”, which makes it clear the Authority intends to destroy all of the exotics in time – 75% of the maunga’s entire tree cover.
Ms Waru says removing so many trees would be devastating to wildlife and people alike because the area already has among the lowest tree cover in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.
“A 2018 Auckland Council survey showed this area was down to only 8% tree canopy cover – and that was before the Authority felled the olive grove here and chopped down 153 exotic trees on Māngere maunga. And it was also before the intensive housing developments that have since sprung up in the neighbourhood.”
Ms Waru says the local community comprises many Māori and Pasifika peoples, who have precious little access to green spaces as it is. The Mt Richmond Domain has been particularly popular during the lockdown, with the nearest other large space being more than six kilometres away at One Tree Hill.
She noted over the past two years the Authority had planted hundreds, if not thousands, of native plants at the maunga but they were entirely low-growing species such as flaxes and grasses, rather than tall tree species. Although the maunga has plenty of empty space, all of the plantings were on one of the rugby league fields.
When questioned why they were planting there, the Authority claimed it was because the ground was sinking so the field was about to be decommissioned anyway. Ms Waru sourced the geotechnical report, which showed there was no subsidence of consequence.
“I caught them out lying. Planting on that field feels petty and vindictive to me. But even worse, it has taken yet another much needed facility away from our already under-resourced local community.”
Ms Waru says she has tried to engage with the Authority, her local board and Auckland Council – all without success.
“The way they are treating the community and treating the environment makes me ashamed to be Tangata Whenua for this is not how we do things.
Protecting Papatūānuku and her children such as the trees and birds is at the centre of Mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge and culture), for it is they who are the kaitiaki (guardians).
“In doing such harm to the environment, Tūpuna Maunga Authority and its supporters are harming those kaitiaki and undermining – not protecting – our culture.
“Tikanga (protocol) also requires engaging with communities in an honest and meaningful way, yet the Authority has publicly admitted it never talked with anybody about its specific plans to get rid of all the exotics.
“I have tried speaking with some of the local kaumatua about this, but they clam up. Something deeply wrong is happening here and it is not a good thing for Tangata Whenua.”
Ms Waru says the Authority is not exercising kaitiakitanga (guardianship) over the maunga if it plans to fell thousands of trees.
“That disrespects our culture because kaitiakitanga requires honouring the whakapapa (ancestry) of the maunga themselves and all the kaitiaki such as the birds, native and exotic trees, and other life forms.
“I feel really sad that Tūpuna Maunga Authority is destroying the old ways and taking what appears to be a nasty and highly disrespectful approach to local communities across the city – all aided and abetted by Auckland Council.
“Is this really how Ngā Mana Whenua wants to represent itself to the people of Auckland?
We can’t let this happen to our trees without a conversation about how our community feels. If our community lose these trees, we will also lose our Mana and Mauri as a community.
Shirley Waru
Respect Mt Richmond / Ōtāhuhu 
Totally opposed to removal of exotic trees on our beautiful Maunga. I agree successful restoration does not require destruction of existing flora.
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What is wrong with a grove of exotic trees?
I understand getting rid of harmful plants/ weeds that can smother other plants but presume the trees have been there for a while.
Aren’t we multi racial, why destroy our heritage buildings and trees.
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Website wont let in,even though I put in my email address
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Paul Majury ,threw down a Dog Skin cloak when he ,through the TMA took authority over Te Pane Matahoho (Mangere Mountain) they did not consult with the mangere mountain visitors center that is administered and run by the iwi of the mountain nor were they offered any of $900,000+ it cost to remove 174 mature trees , the center had to cancel school trips on the mountain their only source of income.t now the descendants of the mountain are to be denied access to walk freely where their ancestors once did, confined to European style gravel path and Boardwalk , soon English stye signs “KEEP OFF THE GRASS” to be erected, yes indeed did the Axe convince the Forest it was one of them because its handle was made of wood.!
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I have no doubt we will not be permitted to walk on the grass of the Maunga’s in the near future if we don’t make a stand. I am counting on the community of Mangere to stand with us at Mount Richmond Ōtāhuhu when the time comes. I have done the same in respect to Mount Albert/Owairaka, as they were the first community who said NO, our trees are not coming down. Mangere Mountain is the only place with trees your community has/had to walk. I have seen so many locals using the mountain during our recent lockdown. Surely that is a demonstration of how important the Mountain is to the wellbeing of your community. Interesting your comment about the Iwi of your Mountain not being consulted. I would love an introduction and meeting with them.
Ngaa mihi, Shirley Waru
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In an age where we know about the importance of trees on climate change, it is irresponsible of the Auckland Council to allow removal, unless it is absolutely necessary for safety reasons
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Thank you, Sarah Trotman, for drawing this to my attention and thank you, Shirley Waru, for attempting to save the exotic trees on Mt Richmond. As a teenager, 70 years ago when living in Mt Wellington, I remember cycling through Mt Richmond Domain with my brother and noting that some of the scree scoria slopes were fretting away. Since that time the exotic trees must have been planted to stabilize the slopes which appears to have been successful. Removing the exotic trees will recreate unstable slopes. Now living in Remuera I hear frequently the call of the ruru
which like the local combination of the exotic and native trees. So I wish you well in your attempts to protect these trees for this and future generations.
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Indeed Shirley Waru
Te Pane Matahoho (mangere mountain) supports the health an wellbeing of the community on all levels, I walk the mountain most day’s, it is abuzz with young people exorcising,, 80% are Moari and Pacifica origin, it is heart warming to see the moutain vibrant & nuturing, the TMA seem bent on making it a museum site, to be viewed from platforms, already the mountain now is silent of wild life, the archeology smothered by kiku grass, gone are the Ruru, hawks and roosting birds, it is so sad, I used to shelter from the elements under the tree canopy now the mountain is bare no shelter for people or wildlife, the visitors centre, on a limited budget do a great job, there restoration of paths with traditional palisades & information on Ruamoko and culture, is a great example,
Why would a country with so much native forest, destroy its inner city Arboretums, denying its peoples the education of seeing specimens from all around the body of Papatuanuku,
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My great uncle had a contract to plant at the Mangere Domain back in 1894.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18941022.2.18
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18940710.2.7
Possibly just a shelter belt on the south west boundary. I left it a bit late to find that out lol. They supplied many trees to one tree hill , they were selling 100’s of thousands of trees at the time. A lot of the places “raised there own trees in their nurseries” , but they didn’t actually plant them , they bought them in and “raised” them until they were ready to plant them out. They had pretty much any tree found in the mangere domain currently ,in large numbers, even the unusual ones. Plus selling gorse and privet lol.
Then got carried away and had a design competicion before tenders went out , so who knows. They certainly had heaps of macrocarpas and insignus , everyone did.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18941102.2.28
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