Tree Harvesting to Begin at Sandy Point Domain

• Invercargill City Council will start harvesting trees in Sandy Point Domain.
• Pine trees along the Ōreti River will be removed for public safety reasons.
• Replanting with native trees and repurposing leftover material will follow the harvesting.

Invercargill City Council is preparing to begin proactive tree harvesting in Sandy Point Domain, following the guidelines of its Tree Plan 2020. This long-term strategy aims to ensure the sustainability of trees and public safety across the city through responsible management.

Kate Gough, Council Parks Performance Manager, stated that the harvesting of pine trees in Sandy Point is part of a scheduled 30-year cycle. While most of this work will not affect the public, some trees along the Ōreti River must be removed due to safety concerns.

“Unfortunately, the trees along parts of Sandy Point Road are starting to reach the end of their lives and need to be harvested. We’ve already had some instances where parts of the trees have fallen across the road and we need to consider the safety of the public.”

The full harvesting programme is expected to take six to eight weeks. However, the public walking track parallel to the river and Sandy Point Road will be closed for only three days, from 1-3 July, depending on the weather. During this period, vehicle access on Sandy Point Road will be limited to one lane, with traffic management in place.

“Once the harvesting has finished, we will be replanting this area with natives and will look to repurpose any leftover material, like using the wood chips to help with weed suppression, as much as we can,” Gough said. “We’d like to thank the public in advance for their understanding while we complete this necessary work.”