Raumati Paraparaumu Community Board member’s Guy Burns and Bernie Randall are concerned precious Kāpiti Coast District Council resources, money and staff time have been wasted cutting down two mature karaka trees in Wesley Knight Park, Paraparaumu Beach because KCDC claim the berries are toxic to dogs.
“KCDC have planted karaka trees around their headquarters with signs warning dog owners of the risk of eating the poisonous berries and we wonder why signs were not posted in Wesley Knight Park in the same manner” say messers Burns and Randall.
“Karaka trees and dogs have co-existed in Kāpiti for the last 200 years or so. The trees Council destroyed are old and mature. Karaka’s were a valuable food source for Maorithese trees at Wesley Knight Park may have been planted by old-time local Maori.
“The cutting down of mature native trees by Council was an over-the-top reaction by risk averse officials and a complete waste of ratepayers money in an era of high rate increases.”
