Te Mahi Ngātahi subbie puts customer aroha first

Subcontractors working on Te Mahi Ngātahi are often presented with urgent jobs that require creative thinking and problem solving to produce the best outcomes for our customers in the least disruptive way. The team at The Tree People recently went above and beyond to remove a large 18m pine on a property that had partially fallen during a high wind event and was an active risk to both the customer and the neighbouring property. They worked hard to come up with a solution that satisfied all and resulted in minimal damage to the surrounding area.

Commercial Contracts Manager Jared Donald scoped the job and quickly and discovered that access to the property was limited with a narrow gate accessway, no driveway and a sensitive waterway inhabiting eels that would prevent them from getting large machinery onsite. The neighbour would didn’t want work to be undertaken from their property as it would damage their lawns so Jared visited the site a few times to explore different options, meeting with two crane companies and talking to other neighbours to meet the customer’s expectations.

“The customer expressed concern seeing the tree still standing and understandably wanted it on the ground to ensure the safety of their whānau. We couldn’t climb and rig the tree in a controlled manner so we decided to fell the tree which would cause further damage to the already compromised fence but was definitely the safest option for everyone involved.” Says Jared.

The team were able to fell what was remaining of the tree removing the immediate safety risk which was a huge relief to the customer. Jared advised that they would be back to clean up the debris and put together a plan to remove a section of the neighbouring Kāinga Ora property’s fence and install a makeshift bridge over the waterway to improve access. 

All of this was completed safely, with respect to surrounding properties and community members including the friendly eels in the waterway! On top of that, Jared made sure that plans to repair the fence and lawns were issued when he signed off his work with photos. 

The customer aroha that The Tree People showed meant that the family could safely enjoy their backyard over the holiday period without having to worry about the hazardous tree causing more damage or injury. 

The communication and detailed notes provided by Jared allowed our kaimahi to keep everyone up to date and progress the job quickly. A huge mihi to all involved and we’re pleased that the outcome was positive for all involved – well done Tree People!