Skip to main content

Easter and ANZAC Day opening hours

Over the Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays, some of our facilities will be closed or have reduced hours. 

Find out more
News

New plants to start green facelift of New Plymouth city centre

News Featured news
PUBLISHED: 23 APR 2025
Share this article

The first stage of a green makeover for New Plymouth city centre starts on 28 April with a pilot project to remove Devon Street’s aging alder trees.

Around 22 of the oldest and most at-risk trees will be removed between Egmont and Elliot streets to be replaced with a mix of shade trees and street-level greenery.

The first group of 13 alders between Brougham and Robe streets will come down this month and the other eight between Egmont and Eliot streets will be removed in autumn next year.

“This is part of our City Centre Strategy vision for a greener, family-friendly city centre where people want to shop, stop and enjoy.  This will cause some brief disruption to traffic as we need to keep people and property safe, but the footpaths will remain open and we’d ask people to bear with us while we carry out this work,” said NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison.

“We’ll be replacing the trees with natives and if they’re a success over the next six months, we’ll be looking to roll them out along the length of Devon Street in the city centre.

Our city centre is the business, cultural and social hub of our district and the strategy is a partnership between NPDC and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū to keep it thriving for residents, jobs and businesses,” said Conrad.

The work to remove the first group of trees is expected to be completed by 2 May and the new planting will be later in May.

Check out our vision for the city centre at npdc.govt.nz/CityCentreStrategy.

FAST FACTS

  • Retailers petitioned to remove the alders in 2020 claiming falling leaves and seed pods were a nuisance for building owners and pedestrians.
  • In 2020 Councillors agreed to replace the Italian alder trees along Devon Street with planting informed by the City Centre Strategy.
  • All 70-odd alder trees between Gover and Robe streets are pruned every two years to keep their height down.
  • The felled trees will be chipped and used as mulch in our parks and reserves.
  • Councillors approved the City Centre Strategy including proposals for a green makeover in December 2021.
  • The Mayor and Councillors approved $500,000 split over two years in the 2024-34 Ten-Year Plan.

Photo: NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison with one of the tall hoheria and other plants that will replace the alders.

Related news

A life saver for tradies: new million dollar waste sorting facility to open for region's businesses
NPDC to discuss Central Government’s Three Waters Reforms at Public Meeting
Historic touches in place as Pukekura Park transformed for footy

Page last updated: 11:04am Wed 23 April 2025

Contact us
06 759 6060 enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
Visit us

84 Liardet Street
New Plymouth

Search
Find by A–Z
Navigate
Useful links
Our NPDC family
New Zealand Government logo