A legal bid to stop the removal of exotic trees on Ōwairaka in Auckland has been rejected by the High Court.
The Honour the Maunga group has been campaigning to save the trees on the site for the past year with protests and occupations.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority wants to fell 345 non-native exotic trees and plant 13,000 natives as part of a restoration project on Ōwairaka and Te Ahi-kā-a-Rakataura.
In a judicial review, the court found the authority acted lawfully in deciding to remove the trees - a finding welcomed by the authority, which said it was committed to delivering the plan for ecological restoration.
Honour the Maunga said its position remained unchanged and it would continue its efforts to prevent the felling of non-native trees.
RNZ
