A project to beautify an area of Port Chalmers by replacing sycamore trees with natives has received support from across the community, co-ordinator Tenoch King says.
She said beautifying a section of bush above Ajax Rd and next to the railway tracks was due to start on September 3 when students from Otago Polytechnic's arboriculture course would chop down the sycamore trees on the land.
The "Ajax Road Beautification Project", which had been in the pipeline for about six months, was also backed by the Port Chalmers Lions Club, which would distribute the chopped wood to people in need of firewood and Port Chalmers School, whose pupils would plant flax bushes at the site.
KiwiRail, which owned the land, had paid for the flax bushes and poison to be placed on the sycamore stumps.
The project had also attracted financial backing from the Chalmers Community Board, which Ms King hoped would not be needed.
Once the project was completed, the site would be transformed from its present "pretty nasty" state to a beautiful spot that would let in the sun and attract native birds.
"It's going to look amazing," she said.
