A two-decade fight to improve safety along the Manapouri waterfront has come to an end after the Southland District Council backed the removal of dangerous trees.
The council voted unanimously during last week’s council meeting to approve $64,400 of funding to help remove the trees, which have posed a threat to visitors in the Pearl Harbour area.
Recent incidents have included a woman in her 80s, narrowly missed by a falling tree, as well as a car being damaged when it was hit by a 7m branch.
Chairwoman of the Manapouri Community Development Area subcommittee (CDA) Shirley Mouat said she was happy the council had approved the funding.
Mrs Mouat said the fight for the removal of the trees had been going on for about 20 years, and it would be the first step towards further improvements at the Pearl Harbour site.
Council will contribute $21,000 to the project for consenting costs, while the Manapouri CDA will fund $35,000 for the removal of the trees and $8400 for landscaping.
Two park benches, painting of the toilet block by the Manapouri Arts Group and an audio loop of local birds would "beautify the area" Mrs Mouat said.
Improved spouting on the toilet block roof is also included in plans.
The Manapouri CDA will discuss the outcome of the funding at their next meeting on November 13. A time frame for the tree removal is not yet known.
