Dunedin (Tuesday, 21 August 2018) – Close to 2000 native trees will be planted in Dunedin over the next month, living salutes to the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Forces.

Waikouaiti and Signal Hill have been chosen as sites for the planting of 1850 native trees through Matariki Tu Rākau, a special project within the Government’s One Billion Trees Programme and part of the national 100 year commemorations of World War 1.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, “These plantings are memorials to our past, present and future service men and women. They will also be an asset to our city and build on the efforts of our communities to restore these areas. That good work will continue with these plantings, with iwi, schools, community groups, the RSA and volunteer groups involved.”

Dunedin City Council Biodiversity Officer Aalbert Rebergen says, “The plantings at Waikouaiti build on ongoing dune restoration work between the DCC, iwi and the community. At Signal Hill replanting has been ongoing for a decade and it’s hoped we can create a beech forest.”

The Matariki Tu Rākau programme, funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, started during Matariki 2018, and over three years it will see 350,000 trees planted around the country.

Last month Forestry Minister Shane Jones and Minister for the Environment David Parker planted the first of Dunedin’s trees at Signal Hill.

Over the next month three planting days will be held in the city, including a public planting at Signal Hill Reserve on 22 September, from 10am-12pm.

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