The destruction of more than 1000 square metres of mature native bush has been described as a disgrace by some Auckland residents.
Auckland Council gave approval for the felling of the trees which has led to calls for stronger protection of rākau - or trees.
"I think they are cutting down too many natives, you know?" one man told Newshub.
"It's devastating," another added.
"It's a disgrace, an absolute disgrace to think that native trees can be cut down all just for housing," one woman said.
They've been cleared by a development company, Aedifice, which claims it had full permission from the council.
"When the certificates of compliance were issued to the developer, they weren't protected - they weren't identified as a significant ecological area," Auckland Council regulatory services director Craig Hobbs said.
In total, 1600sqm were felled in south Auckland's Pukekohe. Among the trees are kahikatea, tōtara and the rare matai.
Campaigner Geoff Reid said the fact it wasn't deemed a significant ecological area is a travesty.
"Heart-breaking stuff," he said. "It's very sad we can't recognise the small pockets of biodiversity for what they are and the value they add to our city.
"We want to be able to trust our public agencies to look after our environment."
Even the person who oversees consents conceded this is a tough watch.
"When I see native trees like that being cut down, you know, it is hard to see," Hobbs admitted.
Forest and Bird's Carl Morgan believes the central Government also needs to take some of the blame. "They're pulling [the] council in all directions at the moment, they want them to build more houses but they also want the natural environment protected," Morgan said.
The developers, Aedifice, said the trees were also green lit by the council for culling.
Instead, they've left them up for public use and the trees that were cut down were only cut down to make space for an access road to their development.
The fear is the 1600sqm of destroyed native bush is just the tip of the city's tree-culling iceberg.
"It's horrifying, isn't it? That we're going to lose assets like that from the region that's never going to be replaced," Auckland Tree Council secretary Mels Barton said.
"We need better protection, better legal protection for urban trees because we are losing thousands and thousands of trees from our cities every single week."
And if that continues, "we're going to have no trees left soon", one resident feared.
