New trees to improve central city business area

Business owners, shoppers and pedestrians will be able to breathe a little easier in Victoria Street later this month when four trees which drop unpleasant-smelling berries will be removed.

The four Gingko biloba trees will be removed on Wednesday 18 May at the same time as annual pruning work is done in Victoria Street, between Hood Street and the Claudelands bridge. They will be replaced with golden trumpet trees during the planting season starting in June.

"While the gingko is an attractive-looking tree, the females of the species drop fruit in autumn which emits a pungent and unpleasant smell and makes the footpaths slippery," says Sally Sheedy, Hamilton City Council's Parks and Open Spaces Manager.

"The berries dropped by the trees present a risk to pedestrians as well as increased maintenance costs," she says. "There are several male gingkos in the central city which will be retained."

Concerns about the mess the trees make have come from retail operators and the public, and the annual May prune is an ideal time to do this work. The removals are supported by the Hamilton Central Business Association.


Photo courtesy of Hamilton City Council

“Replacing these trees with something more suitable for the central city is great,” says Sandy Turner, General Manager of the Hamilton Central Business Association. “We’ve had a lot of complaints from our members and the public, and this work will help improve the environment for shoppers and retailers.”

The pruning on the central median and the tree removal means some temporary road and footpath closures on 17 and 18 May to ensure the safety of staff doing the work, as well as motorists and pedestrians.

Some buses will be temporarily re-routed while the work is underway and there will be some machinery noise, particularly during the removals, but the Council aims to complete this work as quickly and efficiently as possible.