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Waitematā
Local Board
09 February
2016
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Notice of
Motion - Ecological Enhancements for Greenways Development
File No.: CP2016/01441
In accordance
with Standing Order 3.11.1, the following Notice of Motion has been received
from Member Rob Thomas for inclusion on the agenda for
the Waitematā Local Board
meeting being held on day, Tuesday, 9 February 2016:
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Recommendations
a) That Waitematā Local Board re-stipulates to Auckland
Council and Auckland Transport the importance of delivering high amenity and
ecological enhancement along the proposed Greenways corridors.
b) That the following urban design and ecological restoration
design principles are considered for the Waitemata and Greenways Regional
Plans:
i) Pollinator
Planting
ii) Water
Sensitive Urban Design
iii) Urban
Forest
iv) Verge
Gardening
c) That Waitematā Local Board endorses the attached
Pollinator Planting Strategy by Andrea Reid. The Waitemata Local Board
requests the Auckland Council Parks Team to review the Strategy and report
back on how a greater choice of pollinator plant species can be incorporated
into projects such as the Waitemata Greenways Projects.
d) That Waitematā Local Board refers the “Ecological
Enhancements for Greenways Development Notice of Motion” to the Auckland
Council Parks and Recreation Committee and the Greenways Regional Committee
for consideration and adoption across greater Auckland.
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Background
The Waitematā Greenways Plan
that was adopted in July 2013 with aspirations to deliver on an overall vision:
“We value our beautiful
natural environment and the building and streetscapes that reflect our heritage
and shape our identities. We will ensure that these environments are protected
and enhanced for future generations to enjoy ... we advocate for a sustainable
city with connected transport options including public transport that is easy
to access and increased cycleways and walkways. We will promote the health and
safety of our communities as key factors in transport decisions.”
Beneath this overarching vision,
we set out a key objective:
“We will encourage the use of
swales (natural filtration systems), earth sinks, green roofs, green walls,
grey water tanks and tree planting around streams.”
The plan goes on to elaborate on
the environmental benefits of Greenways as corridors to:
“Improve stormwater quality
and reduce flooding events through low impact design (LID) measures, and by
enhancing ecosystems, habitat sources and ecological niches.”
With NZTA and Auckland Transport
investment in Greenways, for walking and cycling over the next three years, the
purpose of this notice of motion is to ensure that the greater vision that
includes ecological enhancements is included in project delivery.
There are three key designs the
Waitematā Local Board request Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to
consider for ecological enhancements:
Pollinator Pathways Design
Pollinators such as bees,
butterflies, beetles, skinks and birds are all critical links in our food
system. It’s estimated that animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction
of 90% of flowering plants and one-third of human food crops.
Unfortunately, the numbers of
both native pollinators and domesticated bee populations are declining. They
are threatened by habitat loss, disease, and the excessive and inappropriate
use of pesticides.
Auckland Council actively
promotes the value of pollinators to the community through a series of
educational pamphlets called “Landscapes for Life”. These encourage the private
planting of pollinating plants and a how-to guide on building a “Pollinator
Palace” to attract pollinators to your garden. However, Auckland Council does
not currently have a Pollinator Planting Schedule that would allow for a wider
variety of pollinators to be incorporated into planting programmes.
Installing pollinator plantings
will help to educate the community on the value of our pollinators and provide
the opportunity for our Enviro Schools to participate in developing habitats
for pollinators.
Water Sensitive Urban Design
Many of the areas in which the
Greenway corridors are to be developed contain non-separated stormwater
management adjacent to important ecological sites, streams and beaches.
Heavy rainfall often causes contamination of these sites as stormwater and
wastewater combine and are discharged along Auckland’s inner-city coastal
areas. Permanent warning signs are in place at Coxs Bay and in St Mary’s Bay as
toxins exceed minimal health standards.
Ensuring the delivery of Water
Sensitive Urban Design through Greenways will achieve multiple outcomes such as
quality urban design with landscaping amenity, ecological and recreational
enhancements.
Similar designs have been
incorporated into the urban streetscapes in Wynyard Quarter and Hobsonville
Point. Water Sensitive Design includes swales, water filtration and
carbon filtration. These are outlined in the Council’s design manual “Water
sensitive design for stormwater, 2015”.
Urban Forest Design
Planting new trees provide both a
design element to roads and an important habitat for birdlife. Recent planning
changes to allow for the removal of trees on private land has put much of the
city’s Urban Forest under threat as the city’s population continues to grow and
housing intensifies. The Urban Forest also plays an important part in the
carbon sequestration process to off-set human-made carbon emissions.
Auckland has always had a proud
history of planting trees along road corridors to separate the road from the
carriageway. That heritage is reflected in the iconic urban canopies around the
Auckland Domain and Franklin Road.
The Auckland Council continues to
play an important part in building and maintaining an Urban Forest and should
be reflected in the planting schemes for Greenways.
Verge Gardening Design
Verge or Berm Gardening Design
encourages greater community empowerment by encouraging neighbours to take
ownership of planting schemes. There are great international examples of how
allowing the community stewardship creates increased safety and adds local
character to an area.
One of the most famous Verge
Garden Designs in the world, visited by hundreds of tourists each day, is
Lombard Street in San Francisco. These gardens create the perfect integration
of public and private garden planning and stewardship.
This Notice of Motion is aimed at
delivering greater ecological restoration within the delivery of the Greenways
Programme.
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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aView
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Ecological Enhancements for Greenways Development
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9
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Signatories
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Authors
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Rob Thomas
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Authorisers
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Victoria Villaraza - Relationship Manager
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