Tim says: Christchurch has been through an awful lot since the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes. I don’t think Christchurch residents should be deprived of their much-admired heritage of notable trees on top of all that. If you agree, please donate to help save those trees, as Rebekah Lynch outlines below.
Already convinced? Donate now: Give A Little: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/saveheritagetrees
Saving Christchurch’s Notable Trees – We Need Your Help
My name is Rebekah Lynch and I am part of a group of citizens who care about Christchurch’s unique landscape character, which is defined by its legacy of urban trees. We really need your help to support the continued protection of some of Christchurch’s most significant trees – 80% of which have been proposed for delisting from Council’s register, which means they can be felled “as of right”.
In particular, we need help to cover the expert and legal expenses that we have had no choice but to incur, in order to speak for the trees through the Court-style Plan hearings being fast-tracked under the emergency earthquake legislation.
What has made this process particularly difficult for ordinary people like ourselves is that we have had to go through not one but an unprecedented two hearings, which effectively doubled our costs. Our costs were further increased when Council reneged on a mediated agreement that would have seen 56% of the listed trees return to Council’s register.
As you can imagine, the second hearing and Council’s subsequent action presented an almost impossible hurdle for individual submitters and small Trusts to overcome in order to speak for a public good – and to have any hope of being heard in a Court-style process where outcomes are being determined by expert evidence and legal submission.
Here are some links to articles that chart the Christchurch tree situation and our campaign:
What We’re Doing – And How You Can Help:
Fundraising:
We are currently running a fundraising campaign under the umbrella of the Christchurch Civic Trust and donations can be made via:
Or directly to the Christchurch Civic Trust:
Electronically to: KiwiBank Account # 38 9003 0081396 00 (Please include your name and “Trees” as a reference); or
By cheque to: Christchurch Civic Trust, PO Box 1927, Christchurch 8140.
All donations are tax deductible and will be receipted. All funds will be used solely to meet the expert and legal costs of the tree campaign to date and to review the Hearing decisions once they are made.
Social Media and Spreading the Word
You can also help by:
- linking directly to our Give A Little fundraiser on your own social media pages and/or your blog or website – simply cut and paste in the Give a Little link above; and also
- encouraging others to do the same by also liking and sharing the link.
We would deeply appreciate our cause being shared with other individuals, organisations, groups, or businesses that you believe may care about the fate of Christchurch’s Heritage and Notable trees. We believe this will assist us greatly.
Contacts and Further Information:
Please contact the following if you have further questions:
Thank you for your time, your support, and your generosity for a cause that is so important to Christchurch’s unique urban character and to its post-earthquake regeneration and recovery.
Yours sincerely,
Rebekah Lynch
