The vegetation management Auckland wide rules recognise the particular benefits of vegetation and trees in sensitive environments and in areas of contiguous native vegetation cover, and threatened plant species, while enabling reasonable use and development. The rules encourage vegetation retention for values including maintaining indigenous biological diversity and ecosystem services including soil conservation, water quality and quantity management, and the avoidance and mitigation of natural hazards. The rules provide for the adverse effects of vegetation loss to be avoided, remedied or mitigated.

1. All Kauri deadwood material (including sawdust and woodchips) must be retained on site or disposed of to landfill.

1. The maximum branch diameter must not exceed 50mm

2. No more than 10 per cent of live growth of the tree is removed in any one calendar year

3. Must meet accepted modern arboricultural practice

4. The trimming must retain the natural shape, form and branch habit of the tree.

1. No more than 20m² of vegetation is removed within an SEA per calendar year.

2. No more than 50m² of vegetation is removed within all other areas per calendar year.

1. Erosion control measures associated with vegetation removal and replanting such as mulch or bark should not be able to be swept off-site in a flood event.

1. No more than 20m² of vegetation is removed within an SEA per calendar year.

2. No more than 50m² of vegetation is removed within all other areas per calendar year.

1. No more than 20m² of vegetation is removed within an SEA per calendar year, or

2. No more than 50m² of vegetation is removed within all other areas per calendar year, or

3. Be undertaken, whichever is the lesser, within the legal width or the formation width of existing roads.

1. The total cleared area is no more than 300m².

1.Conservation planting in SEAs is limited to planting for ecological restoration purposes. 

1. Vegetation alteration or removal within a SEA for a building platform and access way for a dwelling where there is no practicable alternative location outside the area of protected vegetation on the site. The council will restrict its control to the matters below:

i. the area of vegetation cleared

ii. the suitability of the proposed building platform for a dwelling.

1. Vegetation pruning alteration or removal for a building platform and accessway for a dwelling where there is no practicable alternative location outside of the area of protected vegetation on the site.

a. require vegetation clearance to be carried out in a way that avoids high quality vegetation and locates in lower quality vegetation. Having regard to the reasons for which the vegetation is protected, clearing should take place in areas which avoid vegetation on the site which may have greater significance than other vegetation

b. recognise the need to obtain a building platform and access that is suitable for a dwelling.

a. the ecological values and benefits of the vegetation

b. the benefits of the vegetation for avoiding or mitigating natural hazards

c. the benefits of the vegetation for soil conservation, water quality and the hydrological function of the catchment

d. the amenity, landscape and natural character values and benefits of the vegetation

e. the amenity values of adjacent public space including the coast, CMA, reserves and walkways

f. the reasonable use of the site for a building platform and associated access, services and living areas, and the maintenance of existing activities on the site

g. the minimisation of vegetation disturbance from activities, works, accessways and building platforms and alternative locations and methods which may be available to the applicant to achieve their objectives including consideration of an application for flexibility in respect of any development control where this would encourage retention and enhancement of vegetation on the site

h. the ecological value of vegetation, including ecosourcing, amenity value, extent, ongoing maintenance and protection, of revegetation measures

i. the imposition of bonds, covenants or similar instruments as conditions of consent associated with any of the above matters

j. mitigation of bush fire risk

k. measures to contain and control plant pathogens and diseases including Kauri die back

l. the need for or purpose of the proposed building or structure.

2. Any vegetation alteration or removal within a Quarry Zone
The council will restrict its discretion to the matters below for the activities listed as restricted discretionary in the activity table:

a. scale, location, quality, significance, visibility of indigenous vegetation and habitats

b. significant adverse effects on existing streams, wetlands, riparian margins and habitat

c. buffer areas between Mineral Extraction Activities and remaining areas of SEA

d. duration and staging of Mineral Extraction Activities

e. proposals for the avoidance, remediation or mitigation of significant adverse effects, or the partial offsetting of residual adverse effects in the local area, including positive environmental benefits

f. benefits derived from extracting the resource.

a. whether the vegetation alteration or removal is minimised and the extent to which adverse effects on the ecological and indigenous biodiversity values of the vegetation are able to be avoided, remedied or mitigated

b. the degree to which the vegetation serves to avoid or mitigate natual hazards and the amount of vegetation to be retained or enhanced

c. the degree to which vegetation alteration or removal will adversely affect soil conservation, water quality and the hydrological function of the catchment and measures to avoid remedy or mitigate any adverse effects

d. the effect of the vegetation alteration or removal on amenity, landscape and natural character values particularly on adjacent public space including the CMA, coast, reserves and walkways and measures to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects

e. the alternative locations and methods which may be available to the applicant to achieve their objectives, including consideration of an application to infringe any development control where this would encourage retention and enhancement of vegetation on the site

f. the extent to which revegetation can remedy or mitigate adverse effects including ecosourcing and the ongoing maintenance of revegetation measures

g. whether conditions of consent can avoid remedy or mitigate adverse effects including the imposition of bonds, covenants or similar instruments

h. whether the vegetation removal is necessary to mitigate an identified bushfire risk to existing development

i. measures to contain and control plant pathogens and diseases such as Kauri die back including measures for preventing the spread of soil and the safe disposal of plant material

j. whether the vegetation removal will improve the reliance and security of the network utility

k. whether the vegetation clearance is necessary for a structure that has a functional need to be in the proposed location.

2. Vegetation alteration or removal of an SEA within a Quarry Zone

a. whether the proposed measures, including staging and rehabilitation, will minimise or mitigate significant adverse effects, partially offset residual adverse effects or provide for positive environmental benefits through:

i. actions undertaken in advance of vegetation removal;

ii. areas of indigenous planting;

iii. the ratio, quality and type of new indigenous planting in relation to the established vegetation to be removed;

iv. the translocation of any indigenous plant and animal species;

v. the opportunity to establish ecological linkages with existing vegetation and/or habitats;

vi. ongoing programmes of weed and pest control; and

vii. fencing and stock removal.

b. whether the proposed mitigation measures implement the ‘no net loss principle’

c. whether the vegetation proposed to be removed forms part of an ecological corridor, or is adjacent to a watercourse and acts as a filter for sediment and water runoff, or protect threatened plants or animal species and whether the activity will significantly adversely affect these values

d. whether the scale or location of the activity will significantly affect water quality or quantity and the habitat value of waterways or wetlands

e. whether the activity is necessary to enable continued efficient operation of the mineral extraction site.