Thank you for the feedback emails and comments on Toe-Paw Council’s designs for landscaping the urban streets in Turangi. When asked the question of where they would rather live – in a tree lined street or where the trees had been removed, the tree enhanced streets easily won. What a surprise!

To be fair to the Council planners, above is a photo where Council have used their imagination. This is located in the old part of town close to the river where the footpath is shared with the Tongariro River Trail. Instead of removing the tree to maintain a straight kerb, the footpath was moved around it. Therefore, the relaxed leafy character of the suburban street was maintained with considerable cost savings.

The photo above is nearby at the entrance to the Birches footbridge at the end of Koura Street above the Breakfast Pool. The team are removing all the foliage to make way for the new footbridge. All that remains to do now is to cross the river.