Coronation tree to spark voluntary planting day at Papanui Bush

Thursday, 8 June 2023

Denis McMurtrie is behind the replanting of Papanui Bush, which was felled in the 1850s.

“It’s like planning a wedding,” Denis McMurtrie says.

He was talking about organising volunteer planting days this Friday and Saturday at Bridgestone Reserve in Papanui, Christchurch.

Even mayor Phil Mauger will turn up to plant a coronation tree – a rimu.

Friday is reserved for students from Papanui High School and rangers from the council. The public are invited on Saturday for the mayor’s ceremonial task, a speech or two and hundreds of natives to plant.

McMurtrie didn’t know how many people will attend, but there are 250 sausages on ice just in case.

Bridgestone Reserve – tucked between the railways tracks and newly sprouted commercial and social service buildings off Langdons Rd – is officially a storm water management facility that takes water from the many new buildings and their car parks.

But the council saw it had potential for native regeneration and McMurtrie put his hand up to be lead volunteer.

Denis McMurtrie is driving the replanting at Papanui Bush, off Langdons Rd. Upper left is the Braintree Wellness Centre and behind that and just out of sight is the under-construction Canterbury Cancer Centre.

Kahikatea trees that were 30cm high when planted three years ago are now over 1m. Harakeke planted as seedlings are easily 2m and ribbonwood trees perhaps 4.5m.

This week, contractors were building a pathway and two bridges over swampy ground, and McMurtrie hoped more paths would be installed deeper into the reserve and perhaps as far as the rugby league fields at Papanui Domain and Sawyers Arms Rd to the north.

Meanwhile, the new wheelchair-accessible paths open the reserve to the clients of the Braintree Wellness Centre, which supports people living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions to “live well in the community”.

Many rooms in the centre overlook the reserve, including a gym and cafe, which is open to the public.

Meanwhile, about 9000 people a year are expected to visit the Canterbury Cancer Centre when it opens in about September.

Volunteers planting and maintaining the former Papanui Bush about a year ago.

The Cancer Society’s new building will have 50 rooms for patients needing accommodation in Christchurch, as well as support services for patients and families. All will be welcome in McMurtrie’s retirement project.

He taught at Papanui High for 42 years and years of involvement with Rotary made him community minded.

Bridgestone Reserve was named after the tyre manufacturer that had a factory nearby until 2009. Until the early 1850s, the place was part of Papanui Bush, a 30-hectare native forest remanent that at the time was 8ha larger than Riccarton Bush. Today Riccarton Bush is 7.8ha.

The Papanui trees were used to construct English Christchurch.

McMurtrie, the council, Rotarians and volunteers replaced dull grasslands with thousands of natives in the oddly shaped reserve. The council now mows only a short strip of grass due to the restoration effort.

The Community Planting Day is this Saturday from 9am to 12.30pm at 48 Langdons Rd.