Kia ora

From a Māori perspective, the trees are part of the environment and we have to look after them; they are home for our kaitiaki (guardians) – our birds. But it’s not just about our kaitiaki, it’s also about our community.

Our Park and Reserve is important to our community, and so are our beautiful mature exotic trees and birds. Auckland is losing trees at a frightening rate. Local parks and being sold. Nearby land is being developed intensively for housing. The green spaces that connect us all to nature are rapidly dwindling, so our community needs this beautiful maunga more than ever before.

It makes no sense from either an environmental or Te Ao Māori perspective to be destroying 75% of this maunga’s tree cover, for no other reason than they are non-native. Central government and Auckland Council have both declared climate emergencies – so we need more trees, not less!

What’s worse, is that our rates will be paying for this because Tūpuna Maunga Authority, who wants to fell the trees, is funded through Auckland Council. It’s a complex situation so take a look at our sister group’s website for more information.

Honour the Maunga has been safeguarding 345 exotic trees from destruction on Ōwairaka / Mt Albert since November 2019 and their details on their website are largely applicable to this maunga too.

We need your help! Please join us in fighting to save Mt Richmond/Ōtāhuhu’s trees and the lifeforms they support