Eely Point Tree Succession Plan

Keep Eely Point looking sharp for future generations

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has created a draft tree succession plan for Eely Point in Wānaka to help protect this iconic local spot and ensure it remains a resilient, ecologically diverse environment for future generations to enjoy.

The plan takes a long-term approach to managing the removal of aging wilding conifers in the area and self-seeded willows and poplars growing in the shallows of the lake nearby, replanting the area with a diverse range of native and suitable exotic trees and plants over the next 60 years.

How we plan to carry this out

Removal of wilding conifers, self-seeded willows and poplars, and the introduction of new plants at Eely Point in Wānaka will be staged across multiple zones, ensuring new plants have time to adapt to the windy environment as conifers are gradually removed throughout the area.

To carry this out, we’ve broken Eely Point into 10 different zones – each one representing different canopy densities, groupings of trees, and how much wind protection they currently provide.

These zones have their own phases and stages of work to guide which trees are removed and when, and the introduction of new planting.

• A ‘phase’ of work in a zone represents a single year.
• A ‘stage’ of work in a zone represents a ten year period

This approach to different zones means we can consider which existing trees provide vital wind protection and need to remain in place longer than others, helping new plantings to flourish and grow strong before they’re exposed to the elements later.

Why is a succession plan so important?

Eely Point is an iconic part of Wānaka’s backdrop and is explored and enjoyed by plenty of locals and visitors all throughout the year, and just a short walk from town too!

Whether it’s loved for a game of disc golf with friends, lounging in the sun after a bit of boating or paddling about in Lake Wānaka, or a BBQ right by the water’s edge – Eely Point is a significant attraction no matter the season.

The problem: Approximately 25% of the reserve is made up of aging wilding conifer trees.

These conifers play a crucial role in acting as a windbreak to shield this public space from wild weather, but their invasive nature and advancing age are a significant threat to the landscape’s long-term sustainability.

Some of the risks of these wilding conifers include:

• Biodiversity loss: these trees create a dense canopy that blocks sunlight, suppresses understory growth, and disrupts natural regeneration processes – all significantly reducing native flora and fauna in the area.
• Degradation of soil quality: needle litter contributes to soil acidification and reduces nutrient availability, resulting in poor soil health that challenges the establishment of other plant species.
• Seed spread risk: invasive wilding conifers are battled with all throughout the Queenstown Lakes, and the geography of the Eely Point peninsula enables the spread of seeds into surrounding natural areas, compounding the ecological challenges and threatening local ecosystems.

Willow trees and poplars have self-seeded to start growing along the northern foreshore and within the shallows of the lake, and their unmanaged spread has encroached on the reserve and poses similar problems to wilding conifers in the area.

A succession plan for Eely Point will help to restore biodiversity and ecology in the area, enhance how people use this space, and ensure it flourishes for future generations to enjoy.

What would we plant?

As wilding conifers and self-seeded willows and poplars are gradually removed, we plan to rapidly introduce a whole host of new plants and organic matter, using a mixture of native and suitable exotic trees and plants. Species include:

• Pioneer species: grasses, ferns, and early colonisers like mānuka to restore soil structure and improve nutrient cycling and support the growth of future plantings.
• Native trees: kānuka, kōwhai, beech, and southern rātā to provide additional wind shelter as quickly as possible while enhancing the reserve’s visual appeal and creating wildlife habitat.
• Carefully selected exotic species: tall, fast-growing and non-invasive conifer species to further establish windbreak – creating new functional but less intrusive shelter.

Wondering how we’ll lay these new plantings out to give them the best foothold to flourish? We’re planning to adopt the Miyawaki method, which helps to create dense, fast-growing and ecologically resilient forests.

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