Auckland vandals hack down nearly 60 native trees in three months

Vandals have attacked 173 native trees across Tāmaki Makaurau during the Covid-19 Delta lockdown, with 57 trees removed entirely, Stuff reports. Auckland Council says it will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible for the attacks. David Stejskal, Auckland Council’s regional arborist and ecological manager, says, “They’re public assets that help make Auckland such a desirable place to live. The deliberate and destructive vandalism is not on.” In the past six months, the Henderson-Massey and Hibiscus and Bays local board areas have been hit the hardest, with 30 related complaints between them.