Protester climbs up controversial Auckland kauri

  • 11/12/2015
Jonno Smith (3 News)
Jonno Smith (3 News)

A demonstrator has climbed to the top of a controversial west Auckland kauri tree to stop it getting the chop.

In March, an activist spent three days atop the Titirangi kauri, forcing the property owners to scrap plans to fell it.

Jonno Smith climbed up the tree at 5am today and says he will stay there for "as long as possible".

"Hopefully we find some sort of resolution," he says. "Obviously we can't really take the developer's word anymore as he's gone back on what he said last time."

Save Our Kauri Community Group spokesperson Aprilanne Bonar says the kauri is "too valuable and too important to lose".

"This was completely uncalled for and took us completely by surprise," she says.

Ms Bonar says arborists armed with felling equipment arrived yesterday but stopped their work once they found out about the situation.

3 News