Source: Radio New Zealand
Lynne Douglas is unhappy that while a handful of plants have survived they’ve by and large been neglected. Robin Martin/RNZ
Whanganui residents are on a mission to find a solution for the caged ‘ghost’ trees of Castlecliff.
In the early 2000s council planted dozens of griselinia in galvanised steel cages as part of a community-led beautification initiative in the seaside suburb, but most have since died or are in distress.
Local resident Jack Mitchell-Anyon first noticed the ‘ghost’ trees when he bought a house in the neighbourhood.
Once he spotted them, he couldn’t unsee them.
“I live in Castlecliff and I drove past them everyday and they’ve been here 25-ish years.”
Local resident Jack Mitchell-Anyon says it’s time work on a solution for the ‘ghost’ trees of Castlecliff. Robin Martin/RNZ
“So, I just kept looking at them and everyday I’d get a little bit more pissy about it because I just thought it was such a lost opportunity, and also I just thought it was a long time to have the failure sit there.”
He described a ‘ghost’ tree for RNZ.
“So, the trees are griselinia which are traditionally not used as street trees. They’re in powder-coated cages which are quite small for a tree and some of them are gnarly and have grown a tad and then died.
“And some of the cages are empty then there’s one or two [plants] that are struggling through and they may be alive, but they’re not happy.”
Mitchell-Anyon took his concerns to social media and then made a deputation to council.
“I thought it was time to admit that the project had not worked after this many years.
“And street trees I think are really important for cooling down the neighbourhood and for climate change objectives obviously, but also for human happiness and people in this suburb feeling that they’re valued and that council cares.”
Former secretary of the Castlecliff Residents Committee, Lynne Douglas, was involved when the griselinia first went in.
She said they were chosen ahead of pohutukawa and olive trees because they wouldn’t get too big and were easy to maintain.
Lynne Douglas was secretary of the Castlecliff Residents Committee which worked with council on the planting initiative. Robin Martin/RNZ
“Unfortunately over the years they’ve been vandalised. They’ve been used as toilets, rubbish bins and we weren’t to know at the time there would be cables laid, so a lot of them were dug up and cables put in underneath, but generally over the years they’ve just not been looked after.”
Douglas says the steel cages were meant to be removed after a couple of years which might’ve given the plants an opportunity to thrive.
“I’m not happy and some of the residents committee have passed on and I know they would be very unhappy about it because look how they’ve turned out, and every time I drive past them I think what a shame. They’re very neglected.
“It’s sad thing because it’s a legacy of the committee that could’ve been a really good project and if it had been carried out the way we planned it I’m sure we would have a nice landscape now.”
Mitchell-Anyon enlisted help from Whanganui gardening experts to suggest alternatives to council.
Clive Higgie of award-winning Paloma Gardens in Fordell was at a loss to explain the choice of griselinia.
“On paper it might’ve looked good but griselinia just doesn’t perform in the salt and those containers. That griselinia is a bushy thing and those containers, I don’t know, are they 500mm-600mm in diameter, it’s pathetic.”
He had a long list of possible alternatives.
“Under the power lines I would go with oleander, puka; with no power lines I’d go with Chatham Island nikau, washingtonia palms, dracaena draco and this one I threw in at the last moment pennantia baylisiana.”
Paloma Gardens co-owner Clive Higgie says Chatham Islands nikau could work as a replacement for Castlecliff’s distressed griselinia. Robin Martin/RNZ
Mitchell-Anyon said councillors favoured Chatham Island nikau, but he wasn’t convinced.
“Their favourite was actually Chatham Island nikau, which are beautiful, but they’re very costly trees, faster growing and a bit more salt resilient than the mainland variety.
“I have one if my garden and it is doing very well, you know, I love that idea, but it’s ambitious. Very expensive with the potential for theft.”
He favoured the equally hardy ngaio plant.
Council chief infrastructure officer, Lance Kennedy, thanked Mitchell-Anyon for highlighting this issue with the ‘ghost’ trees and coming to council with a desire to work constructively with it on a solution.
“Following the presentation, we obtained a quote to remove the tree guards and the next step is to work through funding options.”
Kennedy said council had a strong track record of supporting community initiatives in Castlecliff and looked forward to talking to Mitchell-Anyon about his ideas for the plants and working with the Castlecliff community on this.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
