Ōtāhuhu locals, wider community devastated at maunga tree felling

Ōtāhuhu locals and people from the wider Auckland community say they are shocked and devastated at Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s felling of around 60 large trees at Ōtāhuhu Mt Richmond maunga.

In late July / early August tree felling contractors came and removed the trees, with the Authority claiming many were storm damaged. Yet few of the doomed trees showed any sign of being unsafe.

Respect Mt Richmond Ōtāhuhu and our supporters tried unsuccessfully to stop the felling, which took place over a couple of weeks.

Not satisfied with destroying around 60 of our beautiful tall trees, the Authority has stated it intends to come back for more later this year / early next. We are exploring our options for stopping them so watch this space.

See below for photos of the destruction and some media articles about what happened.

Here’s how some of the local residents feel about the felling, in their own words

Ko Otahuhu te maunga

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Manukau te awa

Ko ngati maru te iwi

Ko ngati puu te hapu

Ko Hauraki, ko Tamaki Makaurau toku whenua

Ko Ray Leach toku papa

Ko Beverly Leach toku mama

Ko Robyn Leach toku ingoa

In the 1930s, my grandparents and their parents bought properties at the base of Otahuhu maunga/Mt Richmond on the Mt Wellington Highway. My Dad lived there with his parents and his grandparents next door, his Uncle and Aunty around the corner on Portage Road. Then, our parents had six children and we lived in Dad’s childhood home, with Mt Richmond/Otahuhu as our playground, spanning 80 years.

Before then, in and around 800 years ago, in the 1200s, our waka Tainui was carried by our ancestors, along Portage Road at the feet of Mt Richmond/Otahuhu from moana to moana, across Te Ika a-Maui/North Island. A bronze plaque at the eastern end of Portage Road tells that story.

The Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau (ancestral mountains of Auckland) are 14 volcanic cones that hold great historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural significance to the 13 Māori iwi and hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (also known as the Tāmaki Collective), who had them returned to them and their connection to our iwi acknowledged, in 2014. (reference Wikipedia) We are ngati maru.

We would roam the maunga, sit under her trees, make huts, climb those trees, have bike rides and races, run around the roads, drive around them too. We would descend down into her craters, slipping down on the stones or sliding on grass. The birds were such a familiar sound, the shade of those trees relief from the sun, home for our natives. Out the other side we would go and climb high up the ridge to see the Manukau Harbour past the train tracks at Westfield station. I remember walks there with Dad holding our hands firmly to get us across the busy road and then releasing once we were safe on the mountain side.

There is no reason to take the trees. Why not allow these ancient ones to protect new growth of natives? We cannot get back those decades of growth, yet we can destroy them just like that, in a senseless act of violence, retribution? It is such a violent reaction to hurt suffered. There is no grace in it, no mana and no recovery either. To cut down colonial trees does not strike at the cruelty suffered at the hands of colonialism, which was significant and undeniable. Yet, it has nothing to do with the trees. Leave them be, so that we may benefit from them and grow the change with understanding and care. Another act of violence by those in power does little or nothing to restore our mana as a people. It shows a lack of connection to the land, our land.

I am 55 now, my Mum passed this year at 88, my Dad 30 years ago. I watch with sadness the arrogance and childish anger of the Tupuna Maunga authority’s leaders and its crazed decision-making, they bring shame on our iwi with their destruction of papatuanuku.

We had the joy of being children under those trees, on that whenua, our whenua. Leave them be for others, I say.
– Robyn Leach

I am writing this as a heartbroken resident and Kaitiaki of Mt Richmond.

Living right next to the mountain I have borne witness to the devastation created by the Tupuna Maunga Authority, who have caused the unwarranted destruction of healthy trees.

The environment my children grew up with is now gone, and I am mourning the fact that this will not be there for my grandchildren. This act of deliberate harm to the community, the native wildlife, and the survival of biodiversity is absolutely unforgivable.

Maunga are symbols of life and Mana, and because of their significance are acknowledged in whakapapa. After quarrying, the Maunga of Mt Richmond was left scarred and crumbling. Healing was undertaken through replanting and over decades a healthy canopy was established. Now to my disbelief the protective kakahu of trees has been decimated, leaving the Maunga to erode again, sadly like many other significant Maunga in Tamaki Makaurau.

Our Maunga are being stripped of their Mana and every living thing that relies on this protection feels this, including myself.
– Sally-Ann Pearson-Hoani and Selena Hoani

Tena koutou katoa,

We stand in solidarity with Auckland’s, and the world’s, Trees. The Trees are our Kaitiaki, and we are theirs.

Trees are not merely “nice to have”; they are crucial to the planet’s balance of air, water and climate.

Plants, of which Trees are the biggest and best at their job, breathe IN Carbon Dioxide and breathe OUT Oxygen; whilst humans and animals do the opposite, breathing IN Oxygen and breathing OUT Carbon Dioxide. Thus our Creator blessed Planet Earth with the perfect balance. Alas, now humans are endangering our air supply by cutting down too many trees.

Yes, planting more young trees is a wonderful thing to do, and we wish to see millions of new trees planted all over Auckland (and the world). However, cutting down MATURE, HEALTHY trees (which Auckland Council is currently doing) is a step towards more environmental collapse and increased Climate Change. Planting new young trees does not have to mean cutting down the existing ones! This does not make sense, especially after Auckland Council has declared a Climate Emergency.

Educator Jaggi Vasudev (founder of the Isha Foundation, India) says: “Trees are our closest relatives. What trees exhale, we inhale; what we exhale, they inhale. They are half of our respiratory system.”

Sir David Attenborough says: “We would starve without plants; we wouldn’t be able to breathe without plants.”

Our Parish Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa says: “I am also a Franciscan from the area called Juniper Forest (in Auckland). It is our strong belief that God desires relationships with everything in our Common Home. We also believe that trees are not just wonderful for our survival, but that their roots do develop relationships with each other, just like human beings or the extended family relationships of the Pasifika.” [That trees communicate with each other via their root systems has since become a scientific discovery].

Parish Secretary Jennifer Birch says: “I am delighted that my Whaanau name is also a Tree name, but sad if it is now to become a threatened species.”

Any society which destroys its own Life Support System is totally insane!

Nga mihi nui
– Revd. Igasiatama Mokole (Vicar of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Otahuhu);
– Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa (Assistant Priest);
– And 30 other Parish members of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Otahuhu