Murray Deaker: former ZB broadcaster on the controversy surrounding a dead pohutukawa

A pohutukawa tree on Auckland's North Shore has sparked controversy, with residents of an impacted apartment complex calling for a solution.

The tree fell over into the complex's property and has been lying in place for three years - and there's growing demand to move it.

Former ZB broadcaster Murray Deaker is one of the impacted residents and he says the tree's a safety hazard for residents and their families.

"There's a hearing on the sixth of August... and people can go along and put their submissions in. And I think that'll be an interesting one." 

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now a poodakawa tree on Auckland's north shore has proven controversial.

(00:03):
The thing has fallen over into an apartment complex's property.
It's been lying there for three years now and while
the residents of the complex want to get rid of it,
they're not allowed now. As it happens, one of our
own broadcasters lives at the apartments. Murray Deeka, Hello and
welcome back to drive.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thank you lovely to be on the program. Much nicer
than that fella used to be on it.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I'm going to tell him you said that. Now tell
me why can't you get rid of this tree?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it's very difficult to know hither because half of
it fell over some years ago, about ten years ago,
fell through into the land which is part of the
boardwalk that the council is responsible for. There was some
kids smoking pot on the boardwalk at the time. My
master thought it was great pot. The council panicked and

(00:49):
came in with a whole group of people and was
cut up and taken away in two days. This one
fell on This is the other half of the tree
fell on our side of it, and although we were
told Nish that we could take it away, ten hours
later that was changed and they said, if you touch
that tree, it will cost you three hundred thousand dollars.
It is a notable tree even though it is on

(01:10):
your property. So even is it dead, Yeah, it's dead,
but you see there's still some roots there. And they
keep on bringing in arborists and they look at it
and they say, oh, I think there's something happening. It's
lying flat on the ground. It's as dead as a dodo.
So it looks terrible.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Somebody must be somebody must be telling the council that
they love it and they want to keep it.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Who is it. There's fifty eight people who have put
in submission saying they want it out, all right, Yeah,
there are two only who have said no, we want it.
One is the WE and the other one is some
green outfit. But these none of these, the e WE
nor the Green Effort realize what a safety has itd

(01:55):
it is, what a fire risk it is, and that
it's an area which is ruined and our the livelihood
of a lot of kids that come and visit their
grandparents and roll down the hill. There's no way they
can do that now. It's just not safe.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Right, So what are you going to do.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Well. There's a hearing on the sixth of August, and
I think that's probably why you've got interested in this,
and people can go along and put their submissions in
and I think that that'll be an interesting one that's
being heard by two independent people. And it depends on
how independent they are. If the middle bureaucrats or lower

(02:36):
bureaucrats are pointed by the council, I wouldn't hold my
hopes up because it seems to me that in our
society today, and I'm not speaking on behalf of any council,
but it seems to me that in our society today,
where EWE is involved, EWE gets what EWE wants.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Deeks thank you for your time, Murray Deeker, apartment resident,
frustrated by the Bahuda KAW.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
For more from Hither Dup, see Allen Drive. Listen live
to news Talks it B from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio