In January, the Waitaki District Council put the removal of the trees at the edge of the Oamaru Harbour area on hold after councillors were caught out by staff plans to fell the trees on the road reserve alongside a Waterfront Rd and Tyne St harbour accommodation site sold by the council in July.
Council contractors started work to fell the trees on March 4 after the council voted in favour of their removal after further discussions in February, to allow a project to realign a stormwater pipe to begin.
In a letter to residents, provided to the Otago Daily Times, council project manager Joshua Rendell said the stormwater main replacement project was being carried out to provide "much-needed network improvements".
The letter went on to say the council had "committed to preparing a landscaping plan for the area", which would be communicated to nearby residents "for comment in due course".
Council assets manager Neil Jorgensen said said that plan was in the process of being developed and its next stage was being considered, which included possible public consultation.
"The landscape plan is well under way and we just need to review it and determine what we do next, whether we take it to the community first or take it straight to council."
The idea was that the plan would "fit in with the general harbour theme".
"It's based around the planter box-type scenario, maybe three or four planters boxes, and we are having a look at the material those boxes will be made of at the moment as well as some shrubs. They'll be larger trees in the boxes."
There was no timeline for work to begin, he said.
