Street trees

In Masterton we have more than 2000 street trees which are valued by our community.

Masterton District Council's Street Tree Policy (PDF, 583KB) and Street Tree Procedures (PDF, 835KB) help ensure the right tree is planted in the right place, while balancing safety, accessibility and infrastructure needs.

Street trees provide a range of benefits to our urban areas – including enhancing biodiversity, amenity, air quality, and shade.

They can also bring a range of challenges, with roots affecting underground pipes, branches affecting overhead lines, fallen leaves, obstruction of vehicle and pedestrian sight lines, and damage to footpaths and roads.

The Policy and Procedures guide how existing street trees are cared for and assessed, including when maintenance, pruning, removal or replacement may be needed.

As the name suggests, street trees are trees planted in the roading corridor – which includes berms. The Council is responsible for all maintenance and management of trees planted within this area.

Existing trees

The Policy emphasises the Council’s commitment to retaining healthy and mature street trees wherever possible, recognising their environmental, cultural, community and amenity values.

Under the Policy, trees will only be considered for removal if they are:

• dead or in poor health
• causing damage or risk to infrastructure, network utilities, or roads, or preventing access when essential maintenance is require
• creating safety risks
• creating growth issues (e.g. overcrowding with other trees and limiting growth).

Removal of street trees

There is an agreed procedure to follow when considering a street tree for removal.

Relocation of trees to a suitable site must be considered and, wherever possible, trees that are removed will be replaced by a new tree in the same place or in the nearest suitable location.

New trees

Most of our new street trees are a part of new developments in the District. New street trees must only be planted following approval of a planting plan by the Council, either through the consenting process when a new road is proposed to be vested in the Council - including species, location, and design – or as part of a Council-led planting plan.

New trees:

• must be appropriate to the climatic conditions, and the scale and character of the area they are in which they are planted.
• should require low maintenance, and provide adequate shade during the hot months
• should recognise cultural values and mātauranga Māori. Native tree species will be considered where appropriate and species are included in the Approved Species List.

No new street trees can be planted under overhead utility lines, in concrete or paved footpaths, or roads.

Approved species

A list of approved species for street trees is an appendix to the Street Trees Procedures.