The third in the series is sponsored by Auckland Council and NZArb Association, The event will be hosted at the Auckland Botanic Gardens on the 3rd July and will be held in the Logan Campbell Building. The event will focus on tree protection, including an overview of the current state of changes in the extent of urban tree cover in Auckland, along with a presentation on how the arboricultural industry needs to look at sustainability and how we need to improve methods to incorporate sustainability into our business and work practices.

Stacy Colyer (Director of GreensceneNZ Ltd) will talk about his experience of working with tree protection rules, from when he started GreensceneNZ back in 1994 up till and beyond the ‘Stop The Chop’ campaign he led in 2014 when restrictions to the ability of councils nationwide to implement blanket tree protection rules were being considered by the government of the time. Stacy will share his experiences with regard to the campaign he orchestrated, his engagement with lobbyists and Government Minsters, as well as pushing our industry’s case on TV. Stacy has had a long career in Arboriculture and has been an ardent supporter of the NZArb Association for well over 25 years.

Mels Barton from The Tree Council has been involved in a number of campaigns to try to change the current RMA legislation. Mels has been involved in a number of high profile cases on tree protection in Auckland and works tirelessly as a volunteer for Tree Council and other community groups. Mels has also been a very strong advocate for the closure of the Waitakere Ranges to try to stop the spread of Kauri Dieback and she now leads the Kauri Rescue group who help private landowners to manage and treat Kauri that are infected with Kauri Dieback disease. The Tree Council is a high profile advocacy organisation that works to promote the value of trees, the need to retain large old trees and has been a major submitter on all matters related to tree protection for 35 years. The Tree Council is currently working together with other advocacy groups to protect our urban ngāhere and is working with The Environmental Defence Society and others on petitioning central government to enact changes to the current planning legislation (RMA) and enable tree protection to be reinstated. Mels will talk about the work she is involved with and give an overview on what options we have to petition councils and central government to reinstate rules that will allow for the protection of urban trees.

Jessica Hiscox is sustainability manager for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and works with mana whenua to ensure strong environmental, social and cultural outcomes across Tāmaki. Jess is passionate about the need to look at sustainability, what it means, and how arborists have a major role to play. Jess will be accompanied by Rob Small, who will talk to us about Mātauranga māori, using Pourewa and the mara kai as an example of partnership. Rob is a highly respected parks professional and has been involved in the industry for over 30 years. Rob is a landscape architect with a distinguished career in Parks and Botanic Garden management. He is the former director of Auckland Regional parks and former world president of The International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration (IFPRA). He currently is consulting with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei on the design and curation of the Ethnobotanic Garden at Pourewa.