The Silverstream Spur land, seen from County Lane looking across Fergusson Dr. Upper Hutt residents have made sure their opposition to a controversial land swap between the council and developers has been heard loud and clear in discussions about the city’s future direction. In 2016, Upper Hutt City council agreed to explore swapping the Silverstream Spur, about 35 hectares of forest at the entrance to the city, for 134ha of land in Pinehaven owned by the Guildford Timber Company so that the company could build up to 1500 new homes in the city's southern hills. However, over the past five years many locals have raised concerns about the impact the decision could have on wildlife and the community.