Fruit trees:  an election issue

If you are running for the Dunedin [New Zealand] City Council in the coming election, I would like to know what your policy is on fruit trees. Fruit trees, nut trees, berry bushes and, while you’re on the topic, community gardens.

This may seem like a minor issue in the grand scheme of a local body election, but I, and all the people I like, want to see more edible stuff growing in public places in the city.

For those of us who rent, public places may be the only property we see ourselves as “owning”. To us, rates, which you might consider a major election issue, are not important: we are rated by fate.

But we will feel empowered if we can go foraging on our massive public estate. So we want more fruit trees there.

I’ve asked for your policy, but first, here’s some blather about the status quo. With this information, if you don’t already have a policy, you can quickly knock one up.

The DCC policy on street trees is old. It is 14 years old. It seems unduly harsh on trees in general. I’m going to go out on a branch and say it is at times ridiculous, because of how fretful it is about trees.  Read Article

By Anna Chinn