The Great Park Development Forum

Congratulations and then...

2008-08-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

An opinion piece

I am writing from Japan after an extended period offline (for field work in Papua New Guinea). It was wonderful to learn about the new ruling from the Environment Court. Congratulations to all who were directly involved in making the case.

Now all of us in the Society can perhaps begin thinking about possible roles for the Society, as the eventual extent of the Park becomes more and more clear.

While action is still needed on plans for the region, such action is of course the most important role of the Society, but eventually there will be a park - considerably larger than the present park - that has stable boundaries, and a need for ongoing community support.

Providing such support is one role the Society is well-positioned to undertake. It is something we can look forward to. Not all members are compaigners by temperament, and this will give a wider range of members opportunities to contribute in various ways.

Also needed will be a review of the progress and history of the campaign, so that the lessons learned can be passed on to other organisations around New Zealand and in other countries. This is something that a graduate research student or professional historian might like to consider undertaking.

There is also much unfinished business regarding the cultural and natural heritages that have at last been given recognition in the court ruling.

So long as the landscape is protected, the archaeological sites will be more-or-less safe. There is time for investigations to proceed with extensive community consultation and participation. Community-led archaeology on the periphery of New Zealand's largest city might be a major first for New Zealand, if it is possible.

Learning about the natural and cultural history of our region is a pleasure that can and should be made to last indefinitely. We should not expect or aim to unravel all mysteries instantaneously. But tackling mysteries is also a challenge that most people enjoy, in many ways, and providing opportunities for this is one of the reasons for the existence of a great park, and for preserving the scent of wilderness.

I miss the sea breeze. The air is hot, humid, and heavy here in Kyoto.

A final note - if any members would like to contribute to this blog, please enquire and join. It is possible now to post short videos on the blog, as well as photos.

News to report?

2007-04-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hi folks.

Concerning the Great Park effort, any related news from the front lines, side lines, beachside or hilltops is welcome. Please give me (Peter) an message c/o pjm at gol dot com, or use tel. /fax +81 75 934-8834 (Japan), and I will see what I can do about putting something up on this site.

Thanks.

By the way, does North Shore City have any policy yet on reducing sea-level infrastructure -- as an insurance policy against sea level changes? One hundred years is not a short time for nature to take its course. Are we even beginning to get prepared?

Or may be we can respond adaptively - if the sea is going to rise, filling inlets along the Shore, perhaps there will be more space for yacht harbours and house-boats. New moorings for the owners of houses that fall into the sea?

Consider Balboa Park

2006-11-25T21:17:00.001-08:00

Balboa Park is an urban park of 1200 acres in San Diego, southern California, USA.

In 1868, the City of San Diego set aside land for the park. Balboa Park is famous for its horticultural treasures – eight gardens set among lawns, trees, or nestled in within peaceful vistas.

The Park is also a large cultural complex, housing over 85 cultural and recreational institutions including 15 museums and various performing arts groups.

In 1985, the Balboa Park Endowment Fund was established by the Pratt Memorial Fund and California First Bank. An online campaign to support for this park forever can be found at Foreverpark.org

Supporters of the Great Park are encouraged to visit the website of Forever Park, a support site aimed at preserving Balboa Park forever. Maybe we can learn something from this example about (a) how to develop a great park,(b) how to develop a long term vision for that design, and (c) how to raise funds effectively.

It may be just as important to imagine what the Great Park can be as it is to fight for land on which to build the Park. Even if all the land we hope for is made available, the Great Park will require a long term vision to reach its full potential.

The Park will always be - and should always be - a work-in-progress, as the Auckland region itself changes over time.

Being a "work-in-progress' does not mean that the Park must be forever "incomplete" or not yet at its full potential. The continuous but gradual working and reworking of a Great Park could become a major and positive contributor to the ecological and social dynamics of our region.

News from Long Bay to Weiti Forest

2006-11-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

Housing plan polished
Wayne Thompson (3rd Oct. 2006, NZ Herald): Landco has revised plans to build houses on the rural backdrop to Long Bay Regional Park, "in an attempt to improve views of the Hauraki Gulf and protect sacred Maori sites". Comment: the latter may include archaeological sites yet to be discovered, and archaeological sites do not have to be 'sacred' to deserve or require protection. With suitable study and presentation, even the most ordinary of archaeological sites can have economic and social value as historical destinations. At present, the pre-European history of the entire North Shore is almost entirely invisible, for most people.

Auckland green belt threatened
Wayne Thompson (19th Oct. 2006, NZ Herald: Weiti forest is the largest privately-owned piece of undeveloped land on Auckland's north-east coast. Williams Capital wants to develop a quarter of the 900ha property, which currently has pine trees on 80 per cent of it and a coastal walkway from Stillwater to the 1855 Dacre Cottage. The plans involve gifting a park of more than 300ha, including a large part of the Okura Catchment, which has featured in planning battles over the years with environmental groups anxious to protect the Okura Estuary and Okura-Long Bay Marine Reserve.

"Wading in waste"

2006-05-24T04:54:00.001-07:00

This is the title of an excellent article by Michael Mallin in the June 2006 issue of Scientific American, a popular science magazine with international distribution. Mallin has been looking at how urban development affects coastal water quality. Here are some key statements, with my comments added:

"Thanks to unchecked development along America's coasts, disease-causing microbes are increasingly fouling beaches and shellfish beds" Note: although we have a marine reserve at Long Bay and Okura, some people will always be taking and eating some shellfish; all that can be achieved by prohibition is a degree of protection for the shellfish, and for the consumers of shellfish from polluted waters.

"Smart growth strategies can restore polluted coastlines and provide economic benefits as well... the adoption of reasonable controls on coastal development would safeguard the shoreline economy as much as it would protect the public's health" Unfortunately, the claimed benefits of the Great Park proposal for Long Bay and Okura have never been subject to serious economic analysis, so the competing plan of quick and easy profit from more housing development remains the default plan for economic development on the North Shore.

After development as usual, "the resulting landscape is dominated by impervious surfaces - parking lots, roads, and sidewalks. When it rains, storm water runoff from these surfaces can carry animal feces and their accompanying microbes into drainage ditches that lead directly to lakes, streams and beaches"..."Urban and suburban watersheds receive a steady influx of manure from domestic animals such as dogs and cats.."

The author makes many practical suggestions, many of which are already beginning to be practised in New Zealand. Whatever developments do proceed at Long Bay and Okura should follow the best possible procedures, and should be up for public debate before actions are taken. With suitable support, the East Coast Bays Coastal Protection Society could be more active in monitoring furture plans and developments at Long Bay and Okura.

Diggers in at Beach Road

2006-05-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

An eyewitness report this morning: the diggers are in at the Beach Road where a new road has been laid out in the council map of "Proposed Variation 66, Appendix 10".

Although the Structure Plan is still to be discussed further in court, it seems like a pre-emptive attack is underway. The proposed route will cross one of the last wetlands on the coast of North Shore City, potentially intersecting with underground archaeological remains that have not been detected in surface surveys.

Some of the greatest treasures of Maori wood carving and architecture have been found in wetland sites, in other parts of New Zealand, so care should be taken during any excavation for a road across the Long Bay (Awaruku) wetland.

Council acts on climate change?!

2006-05-03T03:42:00.001-07:00

The North Shore City Council (April 7. 2006) has reported its concern about climate change: "We’re taking seriously what a number of experts are saying. Its no understatement to say that the preservation of planet earth is at stake,” said Mr Wood, the North Shore City Mayor.

Co-op comment: It easy to talk about climate change as a global problem, but what is the reality going to be for a coastal city like the North Shore?

Sea-level rise appears to be inevitable, since green-house gas emissions are not being stopped, they are only being slowed down slightly. Communities located at close to sea level will face huge infrastructure costs to rebuild sea-walls and storm-water outlet systems. At some point people will have to relocate.

It could be argued that some part of the Great Park should serve as a land bank, so that people can relocate more easily within the same city. When the Browns Bay community is flooded, or becomes an estuary, it could be added to the coastal park, and receive land on the hills in exchange.

Romance, parkside

2006-04-27T05:20:00.001-07:00

Here are some examples of the kind of service industry that could develop more around a Great Park and Park of Parks (abridged from www.holidayhomes.co.nz & www.baches.co.nz, 27th April 2006):

1. ROMANTICO COTTAGE, "a holiday home in Long Bay. Sleeps: 4 (6 max) Bedrooms: 2 Tariff: $200 per night, min: 2 nights.

Romantico is a private and peaceful eco-friendly cottage offering on request organic food and culinary workshops, a short walk from Long Bay Regional Park and beach."

Wouldn't it be nice if some of the organic food could be delivered fresh, directly from the Great Park itself?

2. "Gone Fishing - Torbay-Browns Bay, holiday home, sleeps: 6, Tariff: $150/night, min: 3 nights
Beautiful private home, tastefully furnished. decorated and equipped. Close to beaches, shops, cafes and restaurants. More details: Beach Stay Waiake, Auckland City, Auckland."

Gone fishing where? Somewhere near (but not in) the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve might be a good bet.

3. Holiday Home, sleeps: 4 (8 max), tariff: $120-160/night, min: three nights. An easy walk to Long Bay Regional Park through the suburbs, or scramble over the rocks at low tide. Nearby Browns Bay, offers general shopping, three good supermarkets, a Post Office and several restaurants."

After all that scrambling, a pity that there is only one restaurant over in the existing park. Greater choice and a scenic setting further up the valley above the beach would be nice, in our imaginary "Restaurant Park" of the future.

Long Bay planning report

2006-04-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Wayne Thompson (NZ Herald 24th April 2006) reports that the Long Bay planning commissioners have rejected the possibility of rezoning undeveloped urban-residential land for the Great Park. See other reports on this topic: Liz Willis: "Long Bay land set for houses" (Stuff.co.nz, 27 April 2006)

In a summary of what the Commission decided (North Shore City, 26th April 2006, file PCDN-6, VAR - 66), we can read that: '...it is not appropriate to rezone private land for a 'great park', particularly in the absence of present Council funding for the acquisition of that land.'

So, it is OK to rezone undeveloped rural land for urban-residential land; in this case the council is not required to buy the land at rural-land prices, nor do the owners have to pay the city all profits from selling land that was originally bought at rural prices.

It is not OK to rezone undeveloped urban-residential land to urban-other - unless the city compensate the owners for all their expected profit, at full urban-residential prices.

Why this lack of symmetry?

If the Great Park is created, land values in the vicinity will rise enormously. Does this expectation have any less priority than the expectation of profit by a property company? Why isn't the developer required to pay the neighbours and city for the loss of environmental value, if they proceed with urban-residential development? Why is the playing field tilted in the favour of one kind of development only?

The Great Park proposal is aimed at creating a great urban park. Most people - including the commissioners it seems - have assumed that such a park must be publically owned, but this should be regarded as a separate question. Zoning and ownership are different matters.

The private owners of land zoned for park development should at least have the right to put forward a proposal for private development of a park.

The Commission did acknowledge the strength of community feeling on the Great Park issue (57,000 petition signatures, 10,400 objections to the structure plan), and recognised the North Shore structure plan as a better approach than what the company (Landco) was seeking.

Personally, I feel that there has not been enough recognition of the huge potential value of the Great Park as a Park of Parks - a space where special-purpose parks might operate alongside the existing public park. Such parks could provide services that public authorities cannot attempt to offer (and might give greater profit to the developers):

Educational Park - with research and teaching facilities for marine education, architecture and landscape design; affordable student accomodation might also be a goood idea.
Historical Park - with facilities for a Hauraki Gulf Regional Museum and Garden.
Recreational Park - with facilities for horse-riding, farm display, maritime recreation, and some kinds of holiday accomodation.
Ecology Park - with research facilities for studies of natural ecology, organic farming and human ecology, climate change, etc.
Restaurant Park - integrating the services of restaurants spread throughout the other parks (for recycling efficiency and other cost savings)
Residential Medical Park - with facilities for nursing care, convalescence, sports medicine, and community health-care.

There are many other possible functions that could be developed within the framework of a Park of Parks. Providing a major service-industry destination next to the exisiting public park could be a good incentive to develop a scenic tram-way from the Albany education, business, and transport hub - thus giving all of Auckland car-free access to the beaches and adjacent parks. Such a link would also reduce the burdens of new roading and traffic on Long Bay, Okura, Torbay and the North Shore generally.

In the current stucture plan (see key above, top left), there is no indication of purpose other than the construction of houses and shops, shops and houses. The so-called 'village center' and 'urban village' are likely to become another characterless commercial retail center, with shops and apartments.

Handbook of Environmental Law

2006-03-01T01:42:00.001-08:00

This book, edited by Rob Harris, is highly recommended for anyone concerned about the details of resource management in New Zealand. It was published in 2004 by The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc., Welllington.

Any comments on how this book can help us develop the Great Park are welcome (e.g. references to key points in the book, if you have a copy). Here are the chapter titles.

Achieving good results, by Keith Chapple.
Participating in public processes, by Nancy Sutherland and Keith Chapple.
Planning law, by Rob Harris and Helen Atkins.
Managing the RMA (Resource Management Act), by Rob Harris, Helen Atkins, Peter Skelton, and Nancy Sutherland.
Additional Dispute Resolution, by Royden Somerville.
Consultation, by Dave Serjent.
The law and fresh water, by Neil Deans.
Legislation covering coastal marine areas, by Rob Harris.
The law and forestry, by Mark Bellingham.
The law and mining, by Stephen Christensen.
Transport law, by Felicity Hefferman and John Verry.
Waste and pollution, by Sylvia Allan and Bill Armstrong.
Hazardous substances and new organisms, by Jen Crawford and Natasha Mora.
Laws relating to biosecurity, by Rachel Garthwaite and Jen Crawford.
Biodiversity and sustainability, by Mark Bellingham.
Land and property law and the environment, by David Alexander.
Public access and protection on private land, by Kay Booth and Mark Bellingham.
Protected public land, by Rob Harris.
Conservation and the Treaty, by Donna Llewell.
Protecting the landscape, by Claire Findlay.
Protecting historic heritage, by Claire Heather and Geraldine Baumann.
The Treaty and its implications for the environment, by Richard Boast.
International law and the New Zealand environment, by Pru Taylor.

Long Bay - Okura Marine Reserve

2006-02-07T03:43:00.000-08:00

As reported by Seafriends, the Long Bay - Okura Marine Reserve, was established by the NZ Government Department of Conservation in 1997. The reserve encompasses a sheltered rocky shore, estuary and beaches, has a total area of 9.8 sq. km, and extends for 0.5 km out to sea. All kinds of fishing and shellfishing are prohibited within the reserve. Within 10 years, the recovery of fish stocks was already apparent to fishing folk in adjacent waters.

Among all the marine reserves established so far in New Zealand, this is the nearest to a large urban area, so many people are able to see and enjoy the results of mariine conservation first-hand, at this location (map courtesy DOC website, 8th February, 2006).

The future success of the marine reserve will depend on:

(a) continued public support for not taking fish and shellfish from this small part of the North Shore coastline,
(b) keeping the reserve accessible to people as a recreational and educational resource, and
(c) protecting the reserve from polluted runoff, during and after urban construction activities.

See the DOC website here for an outline map, and here for full access details.

Access to and scenic appreciation of the marine reserve depend to a large extent on the presence of land trails (along a narrow strip of coastline) an a green hinterland. Appreciation (andd protection) of the seascape would undoubtedly increase if walking trails at different elevations and heights could be incorporated into a larger Long Bay - Okura Great Park.

Collision corner on the bend from hell

2006-02-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

The following is a slightly revised version of a letter sent to a North Shore City Council member (16.10.05)

Regarding the Proposed Variation 66 and Plan Change 6 to NSC District Plan and Landco's "Refined Alternative Structure Plan".

I hope that the following brief comments can be somehow, somewhere noted.

A proposed new major road is shown branching off from Beach Road at the upper end of an accident-prone blind bend. This bend rises sharply from the city end of Long Bay beach, and at the lower end there is already a T-junction with Long Bay Drive.

The proposal looks like an engineering disaster to me. The new road would have to extend out from a high, steep bank of soft road fill, and would descend sharply into the valley of Awaruku Creek. The steep approaches to the new T-junction would require lights, with traffic stopping and starting with maximum braking effort and minimum fuel efficiency, leading to heavy localised exhaust emissions and noise.

A second set of lights would also be needed at the lower, existing T-junction, which has less of a problem with slope, though it is also dangerous because of its location on the blind bend, and because it is set at exactly the point where drivers always try to get up speed for the hill. This often causes uphill traffic to swing out close to the centre line, while downhill traffic tries to cut into the centre line - hence the many collisions and near collisions, and scenes of downhill vehicles swerving over the road bank.

Why is any road needed at all across the Awaruku Creek conservation area?

Why not bring the road down to the far (northern) side of the present bus depot, and make a land swap to compensate for the reserve area lost using this route? This would create a level junction, and with suitable plantings would be largely out of sight. It would also allow a longitudinal walkway and bike path to go up the Awaruku valley without being interrupted by the road.

The resulting new road might be slightly longer, but the engineering would be easier, safer, and cheaper, the local environmental impact would be less, and there would be cumulative fuel savings for the community as a whole. People might even use the buses more, if the new main road led directly to the nearby bus depot.

Perhaps an entirely different main route could service the new subdivision area (from around Long Bay College?).

A Rant for the Great Park

2006-02-01T00:48:00.000-08:00

Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand (population almost one million), is growing rapidly, pushing north and south out of a narrow volcanic isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Coastal property is prime estate, and in recent years, an epic struggle has been waged between property speculators and city residents for the preservation of open space in one of the largest undeveloped areas of coastline in the Auckland East Coast.

The Okura and Long Bay promintory lies alongside an undisturbed estuary of immense ecological value for the preservation and regeneration of marine life. The beaches along this promintory are among the most accessible and popular open spaces in Auckland region, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, on weekends and holidays, from all over the Auckland region.

The local city council (North Shore City), was previously dominated by members in favour of urban development above all else, but has gradually - over several years - changed and responded to local pressure to preserve the rural landscape. Unfortunately it is now constrained by the decisions of previous ruling councils, and faces huge costs when buying land because of a previous zoning as rural-future-residential (with minimal public consultation). Developers were allowed to assume that this meant a definite legal right to subdivide in the future, and profit from what had been rural land. Ideally such zoning would be neutral - conferring no legal expectation in either direction, whether future rural or future residential, but merely indicating that more than one possibility is being considered.

The Long Bay - Okura Great Park Society has been steadfastly fighting, through all possible legal channels, to creat a Great Park that will add hugely to the value of Auckland City as a place to live. Property developers other than those invested in the land itself stand to benefit just as much from this as the residents of Auckland City, and the many travellers who visit Auckland.

The Society has formed a Land Purchase Fund which at the moment is largely symbolic in value: it demonstrates the determination and long-term vision of the Society to help create a wonderful park for the Auckland region. The Fund itself has very little money, so far. All contributions are welcome, large and small. The hopes of this Society are largely directed towards persuading public authorities to invest in the Park as much as they can, using all possible means to raise funds for this purpose.

Is time against us, or for us? Whether or not the Park is entirely funded though public sources, the present author believes that by taking a very long-term view of the situation, it may be possible to buy land in the area of interest, piece by piece, regardless of how far the process of urbanisation has proceeded. Few modern houses are permanent structures, of the sort that might be expected to last for centuries. They are built, last a few generations, and then disappear again - if they have not acquired special historical significance, making their preservation desirable. Perhaps, by actively participating in the development, profits can be generated that are then invested in the creation of open space - over decades, half-centuries, and centuries. Time can be on our side, if we have the vision for it, and can transmit our aims across generations. Urban expansion is not necessarily uni-directional, forever increasing outwward and upward, across and over a landscape.

Many populations around the world are beginning to contract, for demographic reasons, and this may create new, as-yet-unimagined possibilities for what are now urban areas. Population decline is usually seen as a negative for economic and social development, but this is because we lack historical examples of how to manage decline in creative, economically beneficial ways.

The Auckland metropolis now is expanding not through natural increase but through social and political policies that encourage immigration, from cities and rural areas alsewhere in New Zealand, and from outside New Zealand. The metropolis has become an economic black hole for New Zealand, sucking in financial resources, and perhaps not giving as much in return, while cities and rural areas around the country have difficulty in attracting funds - public and private - to maintain or improve services, employment opportunities, and infrastructure.

Creating the Great Park is thus an effort that is linked to arguments about the feasability or desirability of setting limits to the growth of a city, in theory and in practice.

World map on a golden boulder, Long Bay

A world is at stake in the Great Park project. The Great Park is a pro-development project. It is pro-development on a larger geographical scale, on a longer time-scale, and for the benefit of more people, than anything imagined by the speculators seeking to enrich themselves and a few shareholders. Yes - houses need to be built - but they do not automatically have a priority over other possible land uses.

[See the 1999 essay posted on this weblog for a permacultural view of housing and the Park]

Have you seen this?! Reward offered

2006-01-22T05:38:00.000-08:00

This advertisment has been posted in the last four issues of the North Shore Times, January 2006. A reward of $20 (to be sent by cheque) is offered to the first person to send a clipping of this to the author in Japan, at the following address: The Research Cooperative, c/o Terado-cho, Hattanda 13-1-402, Hattanda, Kyoto 617-0002, Japan.

Why? So that we can learn how to promote this website more effectively in North Shore City.

If you are not interested in the $20, never mind, please comment below on the Long Bay - Okura Great Park proposal.

Personal and professional opinions, relevant information, previous submissions to the city council, alerts to newspaper articles on the subject, and so on are all welcome. If these are too bulky for our comments section, apply to become a blog member with posting rights (no cost involved).

To contact Peter directly, send an email with the words Long Bay in your subject line (address: pjm at gol dot com) or send a post card or letter to the above postal address.

Thanks muchly

Ecological tourism

2006-01-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

The North Shore definitely needs more tourism options than simply roasting people on sunny beaches. The Great Park plan could provide sufficient space for making the North Shore a major travel destination, with greater economic benefit for the Shore than the proposed expansion of urban housing.

The Te Araroa Coastal Walk from Devonport to Long Bay is part of a network of walkways being developed from the northern to southern ends of New Zealand.

Comments about ecological tourism on the North Shore can added here (please click on the comments link below)

History and archaeology

2006-01-15T04:27:00.000-08:00

Steve Hart has produced a documentary recording life at Long Bay through the eyes of the Vaughan family. This family first arrived in New Zealand in 1863.

Newspaper reports on the Orakei claim appeared in January 2006. The claim, which covers parts of the North Shore, is a sequel to an earlier settlement that covered a limited part of the lands occupied by Ngati Whatua. The Wai388 claim is briefly explained in the Ngati Whatua website.

Other Maori groups are also present on the North Shore. Some of their history has been summarised in an article linked to the Birkenhead Historical Society. Important materials for Maori history can be found through the Northcote branch of the North Shore Libraries.

Archaeological surface surveys have been carried out at Long Bay and Okura, but no serious investigation of potentially important underground materials in the wetlands at each end of Long Bay, or near permanent freshwater sources in the area. Archaeological preservation of wooden artefacts is best in permanently wet soils. Draining wetlands can destroy important cultural materials. This may have already happened to some extent at Long Bay over the last one hundred years or so.

Wetlands are also valuable for studies of natural plant and animal remains, long term environmental history, and can provide clues about ancient forests, and human activities over hundreds of years (burning, cutting, gardening, and hunting or fishing).

References

Foster, R. (1999) Cultural Heritage Assessment of the Okura Catchment Area Within North Shore City Between Vaughan's Road and the Okura River. Report prepared for North Shore City Council by Russell Foster and Asociates, Auckland.

Robinson, J. (1987) An Intensive Survey of the Proposed Dacre Crest Residential Development. New Zealand Historic Places Trust: Auckland. 105 pages. [a survey of coast on the northern side of Okura River, opposite the proposed Great Park].

Welcome

2006-01-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the the Long Bay-Okura Great Park Development forum.

For many years a triangle of local residents, city councillors, and commercial developers have been fighting over plans for the development of the last remaining large open space on the eastern coast of Auckland city, New Zealand. Until now, there has been no widely accessible forum for discussion of the Great Park idea.

All residents of North Shore City, and all visitors to Long Bay and Okura, from New Zealand and abroad, are invited to participate in the discussion.

News roundup for November, 2005

2005-11-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

On November 11th, 2005, a ten-day public hearing began for discussion of the North Shore City Council's plan for Long Bay and Okura.

The Council recommends a mixture of housing and reserves on 200ha at Long Bay, and the hearing drew more than 10,000 submissions, according to Wayne Thompson, in a report for an online property search service, Search4homes.

More than 10,000 submissions?! Is this a New Zealand record for a public hearing on a City Council plan?!

Other news items in November: New Zealand Herald: 28.11.05 care over silt needed, 24.11.05 Great Park plan sidelined, 23.11.05 Greg Olliver (LandCo) faces a court case over fundraising for the Long Bay development, 22.11.05 Money Managers complaint against National Mortgage Brokers re Long Bay, 18.11.05 Developer's bigger 'refined' plan, 15.11.05 North Shore City proposes reduction in number of homes in plan for Long Bay, 14.11.05 Park plan faces strong opposition.

Any comments about the news in November can added here (please click on the comments link below)

Exploration, Ecology, and Education

2002-02-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

To: The Chief Executive Officer
Variation Submission
North Shore City Council
Private Bag 93500, Takapuna
North Shore City, New Zealand

Submisssion: re Proposed Variation 64, Long Bay Structure Plan, and further to the attached Form 3A:

I am a registered voter in the Albany electorate of North Shore City, a New Zealand-born citizen, and a permanent resident of Japan.

My submission relates to the specific provisions listed below. In Part I, my own original comments are offered with regard to 17B.2.4 “the economic and social benefits that growth brings to the community”. In the conclusion to these comments, I qualify my support for further comments on provisions (a) to (i) in Part II of the submission.

In the first Part, I also comment on 17B.3.6.2 “managing development so that archaeological sites and waahi tapu are retained, where possible, within reserves and open spaces”. The comments in Part II are those suggested by the Great Park Society in a recent newsletter.

Part I - Original comments

re 17B.2.4 "The Economic and Social Benefits that Growth Brings to the Community"

Growth in itself can be good or bad, depending what in fact is growing, and where it leads. As a region, Auckland requires growth in natural and social amenities, to better support the existing population and to balance the industrial and urban growth that may be associated with future population growth. Such amenities can only be acquired by foresight, before suitable areas have been permanently taken over by other uses. Much has been said about the natural amenities that a greater Long Bay-Okura Park will provide (as proposed by the Great Park Society). As a member of the Society, I also support the proposal to link the park with Sir Peter Blake, as a memorial to an explorer, ecologist, and educator. Here I would like to recommend exploration, ecology, and education as key words for economic and social development associated with the park. I will elaborate:

Exploration: the proposed great park has much easier gradients than many other parks in the vicinity of Auckland, by virtue of the fact that most parks are associated with steep and rugged lands that are unfit for large-scale farming or urban development. The larger Long Bay-Okura Park will provide much more accessible areas for exploration by foot, by wheelchair, by bicycle, by horse, by boat - and perhaps even by air, if certain areas are found to be suitable for hang-gliding activities. These various forms of exploration should not all be squeezed into one narrow coastal strip. In my own life, exploration of the Long Bay-Okura area as a child had a major influence in the direction of my interests at school, university and my subsequent career as an anthropologist and botanist. Exploration of the same area by other people has undoubtedly had many different outcomes. I am sure that for all of us who have had the privilege of intimate contact with the park area, the opportunity for exploration in childhood and throughout life has been important for our physical and intellectual development. The importance of a park thus goes beyond being merely recreational, for individuals and for society, although providing opportunities for recreation is of course a major reason for developing and using a park. For me, the park area has been an important as a place for exploration, as well as for recreation.

Ecology: the proposed park will complement not just the existing marine reserve, but also the Albany Reserve, with which it is almost contiguous. It would be very worthwhile to consider ways in which a continuous green belt could be created from sea to sea, from the Hauraki Gulf to the inner Waitemata harbour, via Albany Centre with its emphasis on education, sports, and business. Walking and other non-motorised routes along this axis could form the basis for longer distance sports training within the green lung, providing athletes with the fresh air needed for intensive physical training. This is the human-ecological view; the natural ecological benefits of a green belt are perhaps more obvious, so I will not say anything more about them here.

Education: the Great Park Society has rightly emphasised the provision of marine education as a natural role for the park and marine reserve, and I support the Society’s suggestion of forming a Peter Blake Memorial Park, though not necessarily as a park embracing the entire area proposed for a greater park. By all standards, local and international, MERC is an outstanding example of how outdoor education can be provided. A greater park could be developed with the long term aim of providing other kinds of outdoor education, and I envisage a larger educational zone (with accompanying intensive development of accommodation and service facilities) being created in the vicinity of Long Bay College and the existing highway extension of East Coast Bays road - i.e. far back from the coast behind both Long Bay and Okura. The close proximity to Albany means that such a zone would have natural synergies with the Massey University campus in Albany and the sports stadium. It would also provide North Shore businesses, entrepreneurs, and residents generally the benefits of close links with a diverse educational community, and it would also help to minimise infrastructure development costs because roading and sewage provision could be concentrated within the zone.

The special education development zone should also include already-existing residential areas so as to avoid excessive expansion of residential development within the area required for the greater park. Creating a special zone for education and intensive (but low-rise) residential development linked to the educational project might also help to compensate current land owners for their perceived loss of expected development rights in the larger part of the Long Bay-Okura area - although this would not be the primary reason for creating such a zone.

Any other areas designated for large-lot, low-density residential development should be developed using permaculture principles, or with close attention to these principles. Their development could also be incorporated into the educational process as part of the special educational zone. Within large-lot, low-density residential development, there could also be legal provision for compatible business development, such as the provision of home-stay accommodation for tourists, and the development of food services (e.g. restaurants, food processing, and food storage). These would complement the larger educational and permacultural project, and would enhance enjoyment of the Great Park. There may be considerable community interest and support for an urban-rural education project aimed at supporting organic farming and eco-tourism in New Zealand. The North Shore could benefit in many ways if it could take a lead in this - perhaps with support from Massey University or other public and private institutions, and from regional or national governing bodies.

Conclusion
At present, it may be legally difficult or impossible for City, Regional, and National authorities to control development in the manner suggested above. It may appear easier to be to let development proceed (1) by the default principle of maximum-private-profit at maximum-public-cost, or (2) only according to conventional modes of development and resource management.

IF SO, THEN I FULLY SUPPORT ALL POINTS MADE IN THE ATTACHED NOTES PROVIDED BY THE GREAT PARK SOCIETY (a to i, below). Only by following these suggestions will options remain open for long-term development of the sort suggested here - if the community and region ever see merit in what I have suggested.

Archaeology (re 17B.3.6.2 “managing development so that archaeological sites and waahi tapu are retained, where possible, within reserves and open spaces”)

All archaeological surveys conducted in the Long Bay and Okura area so far have been based almost entirely on surface evidence. There has been no attempt to investigate wetland deposits to learn about long-term environmental change since before the earliest possible human occupation of the area, hundreds and perhaps as much as one or two thousand years, depending on when Polynesian ancestors first reached New Zealand. Investigating human impacts on environmental indicators are a routine approach in archaeological research, but has not been carried out here. Until such work has been carried out, archaeological understanding of this region will remain superficial, and management of the archaeological landscape will be poorly informed.
A substantial palaeo-environmental study is also required in order to understand the ecological history of terrestial and marine environments, locally and in the region. Whether or not they are of archaeological significance, the wetland areas at Long Bay and Okura should be managed with greater consideration for their potential scientific significance. There are few if any other locations on the eastern coast of Auckland city where substantial wetlands remain.

Part II.
Submission points here were those suggested by the Great Park Society, and further supported by myself, as noted in the conclusion of Part I above.

A new 1000 acre (400 ha) Great Park at Long Bay for Auckland?

1999-01-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

Suggestions for a way forward.

by Graeme North
Registered Architect with a strong interest in environmental and Permaculture ideals,
18 Neville Street, Warkworth, ph +64 9 4259305
with input from Alastair Wells, Sustainable Land Management Consultant.

January 1999

INTRODUCTION

The notion of saving the last significant undeveloped stretch of eastern coastline and immediate hinterland between Howick and Waiwera from untrammelled development is an idea of vast far sightedness, a vision with huge implications for the people of Auckland.
It is a vision on the scale of thinking that gave the Auckland Region such gems of open areas such as Albert Park, the Auckland Domain, the protected volcanic cones, and the Regional Parks. As the city has grown in size to become one of the largest urban areas in the world another move to preserve a significant area of public open space can be considered as a continuation of visionary thinking.

It would appear from what I understand of the Long Bay Great Park Proposal so far is that the local situation is to some degree one of residents versus the Council and private development/profit taking.
There is always a NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) element to these issues and possibly a compromise position must be expected.
The area in question obviously has land that would be quite suitable for development into residential housing.
A family company owns the land but they are currently restrained from developing the land through the restrictions of the district plan and negative public reaction.
It will be almost impossible to ask that the land be made public unless the owners can get a profit, or excellent levels of compensation.
Ideally a strategy and solution can be devised and adopted that results in a winning outcome for all parties concerned.

FUNDING

How the region should fund the park is obviously a critical issue.
A significant project such as this could possibly be seen as a worthy Millennium project that might attract some funding from Central or Regional government as one strong approach. A major project such as this might also attract large private sponsors.

A suggestion could be that the part of the land be developed as very exclusive residential/tourism subdivision based on the high landscape values that would accrue from proximity to the park.
The returns from sale of property from such high value use may provide income in the long term for the development and maintenance of the park.

The Great Park issue is definitely one that concerns all the people of the Greater Auckland Region even if its territorial location is within North Shore City.
There would inevitably be some funding required from regional or local councils in terms of staff, maintenance, and landscaping costs for public aspects of the park, but certain zones could possibly be managed as private botanic gardens containing particular collections which could become part of garden tourism that is becoming a feature of travel within and to New Zealand. (Note the high interest in gardening with very popular TV programs such as the Maggie Barry Garden Show)

Focus can be brought to bear on the economic benefits from the park development - increased property values, potential for high value subdivision, business development based on the resources, and analysis of present and future recreational needs in the area including parkland provision, tourism potential, as well as recreational and environmental values.

GREAT PARK USERS

A 1000 acre park is quite capable of supporting a large number of organisations without compromising the aesthetic, cultural, or scientific nature of the area.

Any park design must take into account the potential of various user groups who might develop some form of facility or accommodation within the park. These groups could include the university, polytechnic and other tertiary sectors, as well as welfare providers such as Children and Young Persons Service. Recreational and outdoor adventure groups that are either land or marine based would also need to be included.
A need could be shown for a nature reserve/conservation orientated botanic gardens in the northern Auckland urban region, (especially as a repository of native tree and plant species, plus heirloom productive species), and even something similar to the very popular Ellerslie Flower Show could be established.

There is intrinsic merit in preserving the mainly coastal archaeological features and unique flora and fauna of the area. (Its a shame that the unique wildlife is a scale insect and not a marine mammal. If there is little interest in this side of things, this will not carry much weight).
Linking the park to a marine reserve, such as successful nearby island revegetation and wildlife areas, eg. Tiritiri, might help, and the notion of a “mainland island” nature reserve with at least part of the area kept pest and predator free could be developed.

The Auckland Region has limited resources in terms of urban parkland, yet there are clear indications that large urban parkland has not only social but also economic value. Major city parks (eg. Central Park in New York, or closer to home, the Royal Reserve south of Sydney and the large forest area of North Head on Sydney Harbour) make cities more attractive for people to work and live in, while also having parks as a major attraction for visitors. All these factors have positive economic implications that flow from positive social and environmental issues that are linked into a major park development.

THE WAY FORWARD - A CONFERENCE

The way forward could be to identify as many different people/groups/agencies as possible that may have a scientific, social, recreational, conservation, governmental, or business interest in the park and call a gathering and/or conference to see what common ground there may be as a way forward.
This would take considerable skill, organisational time and commitment, and obtaining funding for this would be a major step in itself. (Here the great Park Society might be able to obtain a Lotteries Board or ASB Bank Grant to facilitate this.)
Key personnel might include representatives from (and this is not and exclusive list but rather the start of one that must be expanded):

• Great Park Society
• The land owners and adjacent land owners
• The NZ Tourism Board
• ARC Regional Parks
• ARC Botanic Gardens
• NZ Institute of Planning
• NZ Futures Trust.
• NZ Permaculture Society
• NZ Institute of Landscape Architects
• NZ Institute of Architects
• Institute of Professional Engineers
• DOC
• MfE
• Local Bodies of the greater Auckland area.
• Various interested individuals

Themes might include:
• The Great Park proposal
• Human and natural history
• The park as a refuge for people
• The park as a refuge for nature - environmental and conservation issues
• The park as public and private space and the uses thereof
• Institutions (public and private) of the North Shore and wider Auckland region who would use or benefit from such a park
• The Urban Park Design Group
• Practical issues for establishing the park legal, planning, design, financial, implementation

A conference such as this should also help “discover” the key personnel necessary to achieve the desired outcomes, and identify key players to establish an urban park design group.

PARK DESIGN PROCESS and IMPLEMENTATION

The proposed park area needs to have a thorough survey done on it in terms of Resource Management to identify all areas that are suitable and best suited for different purposes.
This Resource Management approach would need to survey land information with regard to soil types, geography, and geology to determine the stability, and best uses for each area of land/beach/coast.

Identify and map:

• Historical areas of interest or values.
• Existing vegetation and infrastructure
• Conservation areas of interest or value
• Amenity areas of interest or values
• Aesthetic areas of interest or values
• Wildlife areas of interest or values
• Archaeological areas of interest or value.
• Scientific areas of interest or value with respect to flora, fauna and geology.
• Any natural features worthy of preservation for any of the above reasons.

Analysis also needs to be carried out on:

• Existing water features and management.
• Infrastructure within the local and greater Auckland region both land based and marine based.
• Access to and from the park, services that are available or need to be provided etc.
• Services within the park eg walkways, cycle tracks, roads, access to various areas of interest etc. as well as water supply, power supply, telephones, sewerage etc
• Area of high economic value for housing, lodges, hotels, etc.
• Areas identified as suitable for any of the possible uses which may be identified.
• Regeneration patterns.
• Beach, shore, marine and nearby recreational patterns and areas.
• Social needs.

Once the various patterns that identify each particular area of intrinsic value or suited for a particular activity have been identified, patterns of land and park use will start to emerge that are soundly based.

An Urban Park Design Group would need to be formed to carry out the design process by way of detailed investigations, models and maps. The whole process could be carried out possibly in an office on or near the site in full view and in direct and continual consultation with the public and other interested parties.

The end result should be a robust design that is soundly resource based and which has its own compelling logic which should also address all necessary economic, legal, governmental and implementation issues. This would then meet the needs of all concerned for the establishment of a park that is truly great.

If this sort of process is not adopted, then any development must be either genius inspired or else imposed without due regard for at least some of the compelling (and possibly unidentified as yet) features that are intrinsic to the site and the proposal.
Implementation of any design will be a long term project that will require most careful planing and financial strategy and will be a major hurdle that can not be trivialised.

ACCEPTANCE

The major hurdle is of course to get widespread acceptance of the idea for the Great Park in the first place and the Great Park Society is to be commended on their efforts so far. Once there is public interest or acceptance then the rest will follow, but it will be hard work.

How it all began

1990-01-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

The Great Park Development Forum has been created by this boy whose hair was bleached by Long Bay sunshine in about 1969. The sun got into his head, and that explains everything.

Cheers