Ladies Mile trees come down as part of new Howards Drive roundabout

A large number of trees have been cut down on Queenstown's Ladies Mile as a result of talks between the NZTA and the Pet Lodge operators at 465 Ladies Mile.

Crux asked the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the owner of the land at 439 Ladies Mile what the purpose of the tree felling was, but both referred us to NZTA.

The tree feeling operation ran throughout last week - but is not shown in NZTA concept images.

In a reply to Crux NZTA supplied the following statement:

"The Alliance team is undertaking advanced works in the Howard’s Drive area at a time that best suits the Pet Lodge operators.

"These early works are ahead of the roundabout construction where we will be building a new fence.

"Timing for the construction of the roundabout will be confirmed once major works at Frankton are well advanced."

The planned roundabout at Howards Drive, with the Pet Lodge middle right. Note that the NZTA concept image includes trees in the same place as they have now been removed from - and no fence.

The statement suggest that the Howards Drive roundabout itself is still some way off in the future.

A project illustration from NZTA shows the trees still standing and no sign of a new fence.

Public documents indicate that the Pet Lodge was the focus of significant consultation in terms of noise and disruption during the construction of the new Howards Drive Roundabout.