Suzanne Williams

As I look towards the devastation beside Valley Road, I am shocked; but more than that – I see it as a golden opportunity.

We are seldom in life able to start again, and to do it better.  This is one of those times.

After the clean-up – which should surely not take more than a month or so if a helicopter is not employed (leaving the road open to one-lane traffic?), so that slash can be carted away, or chipped on site – what a heaven-sent opportunity to replant, seed or both, in native species.

Last week I phoned the Whakatāne District Council office and spoke to a space representative, asking for an outline of the plan for the council-owned area, post-pine.  He indicated that there would now be a clean-up, but beyond that, seemed highly doubtful of any action for immediate reinstatement of the site, much less improvement, which does not seem to be in the scheme of things. He spoke of budget constraints and said, “We'll have to see how the costs pan out".

It sounded like, if any action is to be taken, it would be so delayed, as to allow germination of pest species to gain a foothold over the space of this winter.

But another reason for immediate action would be that the holding power, on the slopes, of the root systems of the felled pines allowing some growth of young trees, will not last forever.

Why was this whole scenario not known in advance and planned for?  I am no expert on finance, but even an average housewife can budget better than that.  At the planning stage (which I am starting to doubt was ever gone through) surely replanting must have been included in the "absolutely necessary" category.

As is well-known, I am no fan of unnecessary expenditure, in the face of horrendous rate rises, but for a council which keeps burbling on about "well-being", this relatively small expense must surely be considered an "essential".

To those of us who love the unspoiled bush and are hurting to see the desecration of it along the escarpment above the town with foreign privet, pampas, Japanese cherry, phoenix palms, snail-plant, honey-suckle, old-man's-beard, wattle, acacia, eucalyptus, pines and so on,  this chance to reverse some of the damage done by our immigrant ancestors and restore to our birds and other creatures a small part of their rightful habitat is not to be missed.

This insignificant expenditure must be undertaken, and it must happen now, in the next three months of winter.  As I write, the seeds of those aggressive flora are happily germinating in the unexpected light they have been granted.

Please, council, do not lose this wonderful opportunity to restore a small part of our lost precious taonga while you are also paying lip-service to tikanga Māori.