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Rangihoua and
Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan Development Committee
29 July 2022
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Approval
of the draft Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan
for public notification
File No.: CP2022/10630
Te take mō te
pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1. To
approve the draft Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management
Plan for public notification.
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
2. This
report seeks approval from the Rangihoua and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve
Management Plan Development Committee (the development committee) to publicly
notify the draft reserve management plan (the draft plan) for Rangihoua Reserve
and Onetangi Sports Park (the park) on Waiheke Island.
3. The
draft plan (Attachment A) is a statutory document prepared in line with the
Reserves Act 1977, that will provide a policy framework to manage use,
protection and development of the park.
4. Development
of the draft plan is based on extensive research and engagement with the
community, key stakeholders located in the park and the development committee.
5. In recognition of statutory obligations and of the cultural
significance of this whenua to mana whenua, we worked closely with Ngāti Pāoa, and with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Maru and Te Patukirikiri to draft a plan that strongly embeds cultural values
to improve Māori outcomes during plan implementation.
6. Proposed
key moves of the draft plan include:
· Involving
mana whenua in all aspects of park management including creating a strong
visual presence in the park for mana whenua who whakapapa to the whenua.
· The
ecology of the park is actively restored and protected.
· The
park continues to be the premier sports park for Waiheke with multi-purpose
facilities including shared paths and dedicated tracks, enabling access and
connectivity.
· Continue
to determine the best and most appropriate use of spaces in the park including
leases/licenses to protect open space and increase multi-use.
7. An
evaluation of critical success factors has ensured the draft plan aligns with
the strategic direction of the Waiheke Local Board (the local board) and other
council plans, and that the plan is evidence-based, flexible and transparent
about outcomes sought and any trade-offs.
8. The draft plan proposes that golf activity in the watercourses and
wetlands and informal recreation management areas is no longer considered
appropriate due to the potential for restoring these areas.
9. The grassland in the informal recreation area not only supports
native flora and fauna, but this open space area has the potential to support a
diverse range of community interactions and activities as Waiheke’s
population grows.
10. Upon expiry
of the Waiheke Golf Club’s current occupation rights in October 2022, the
draft plan proposes to limit the future expansion of golf to within the
activity footprint shown in Appendix 1 of the draft plan.
11. In line with
the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977, if the draft plan is approved for
notification, public consultation will be open for two months, planned to take
place from August to October 2022.
12. It is
proposed that the chair of the development committee is delegated with approving
any minor amendments to the draft plan (if required) prior to notification.
13. After
the election, staff will come back to the incoming local board with options for
the hearings and plan approval process. This is because the
plan approvals committee will be discharged after the elections. Hearings are
currently forecast to be held in early 2023.
14. It is important to note that Te Rangihoua maunga and surrounding
landscape amenity area, forming a large portion of Rangihoua Reserve and a
small part of Onetangi Sports Park, is managed by the Rangihoua
and Tāwaipareira Management Committee and has therefore been excluded from the scope of the
reserve management plan. There is potential for integrated planning between the
park and Rangihoua maunga in the future.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendations
That the Rangihoua and Onetangi
Sports Park Reserve Management Plan Development Committee:
a) approve
the draft Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan
(Attachment A, dated July 2022) for public notification pursuant to section
41(6)(a) of the Reserves Act 1977.
b) delegate
to the chair of the Rangihoua and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan Development
Committee approval of any final amendments to the draft Rangihoua Reserve and
Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan prior to public notification.
c) note that the responsibilities of the Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi
Sports Park Management Plan Development Committee will be discharged upon
public notification of the draft plan.
d) note that the hearings will be held after the upcoming triennial
local government election, currently forecast to take place in early 2023.
e) note that the Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Management
Plan Approvals Committee is deemed to be discharged following the upcoming
triennial local government election, as outlined in Schedule 7, Part 1, section
30(7) of the Local Government Act (2002).
Horopaki
Context
Why a reserve management plan is required and what land is in
scope
15. The aim of
the reserve management plan is to provide a policy framework to manage use,
protection and development of Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi
Sports Park (the park).
16. The parts of
the park to be included in the reserve management plan are shown in Attachment
A (page 44) and are either currently classified recreation reserve or currently
held under the LGA and in the process of awaiting formal classification[1] under the RA77.
17. Te Rangihoua maunga and surrounding landscape amenity area, forming
a large portion of Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park, are managed by
the Rangihoua and Tāwaipareira Management Committee (resolution:
WHK/2017/195) and are excluded from the scope of the
reserve management plan.
18. The park is a major sports hub for Waiheke Island, accommodating a
range of recreation and community uses within approximately 60 hectares of park
land. The park is a significant site for mana whenua and includes ecologically
significant waterways and wetlands.
19. In November 2017, the Minister of Conservation communicated her
expectation that Auckland Council will comply with the requirement of the Reserves
Act 1977 (RA77) to prepare a reserve management plan for the
park.
20. In April 2018, the local board who have allocated decision-making
for the park, approved the development of a reserve management plan and that
the statutory document be prepared in line with section 41 of the RA77 (resolution: WHK/2018/151).
Timeline
of key decisions
21. In September 2018, the local board established the Rangihoua Reserve
and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan Development Committee (the
development committee) to oversee the development of the draft reserve
management plan (resolution: WHK/2018/190).
22. At
the same meeting, the local board established the Rangihoua Reserve and
Onetangi Sports Park Reserve Management Plan Approvals Committee (the approvals
committee) to undertake any hearings and decisions on submissions to the draft
plan and approval of the final plan.
23. The timeline below summarises key decisions relating to
developing the draft plan:
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
Mana whenua and the community have been engaged extensively
24. With the
guidance of the development committee, the draft plan has been developed in
partnership with mana whenua and has involved extensive consultation with park
user groups and the wider community.
25. The following
consultation activities have been undertaken:
· Mana
whenua engagement: Ngāti Pāoa
observation of development committee workshops, hikoi through the park with
representatives from Ngāti Pāoa
and several hui with mana whenua (refer to section on Māori impact for
more detail).
· Statutory
public consultation: public views were sought on the intention to prepare a
draft plan between December 2018 and February 2019, in accordance with section
41(5) of the RA77. Feedback was received from 191 individuals or organisations.
This included two detailed submissions from the Waiheke Golf Club and Wetland
Ecological Environmental Defence Society (WEEDS). For the summary of public
feedback refer to Attachment B.
· Engagement
with park user groups using an independent facilitator: in-depth
discussions occurred with eight park user groups (26 people) during September
and November 2020 (refer to Attachment C), and a workshop was held with ten
organisations (17 people) on 19 March 2021[2]
which produced a draft vision and goals for the park.
· External
review: a draft plan was shared with Sport Auckland, Aktive and Department
of Conservation for feedback in October 2021 and staff met with representatives
from these organisations to discuss their feedback[3].
26. The draft
vision and goals were subsequently refined with mana whenua to better reflect
the site’s significant cultural heritage and values (refer to paragraph
49).
27. Community feedback centred around five main
themes (refer to Attachment D for a fuller summary):
· Sport and
active recreation – maintain and
enhance the park as a destination for a range of activities and keep supporting
the golf course (different views about expansion plans versus support for
smaller course options)
· Culture – recognise the park’s significance to mana
whenua, respect and protect heritage and tell these stories
· Environment – rare opportunity to preserve and restore streams
and wetlands and balance sporting activities with ecological protection
· Access – maintain safe and affordable public access across
park for a range of uses and provide security of tenure
· Community
– support community health and
wellbeing and park volunteers.
28. The proposed
vision and goals for Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park (see paragraph
36) and the key moves in the draft plan (see paragraph 38), seek to reflect
these community and mana whenua aspirations.
The park’s watercourses were surveyed
29. In developing
the draft plan, we considered the potential for ecological enhancement and
identified further technical advice was required.
30. As a result,
Morphum Environmental Limited (Morphum) were commissioned to produce a
Watercourse Assessment Report (WAR) of the tributaries in the park in 2020 (see
Attachment E for the executive summary and contents page from this report)[4].
31. Morphum’s
key findings were that the stream system in the hills above the park has very
high ecological value and that a range of actions could be undertaken to
protect and enhance wetlands and streams in the park, so the whole system
flowing into Pūtiki Bay is functioning properly.
32. Morphum’s
key findings were discussed with council’s Healthy
Waters unit, Department of Conservation and park user groups[5], and have informed
policies and actions in the waterways and wetlands sections of the draft plan.
33. The Morphum research has driven the proposal in the draft plan to
protect the watercourses and wetlands management area from development and
modification in the future.
34. The Waiheke
Golf Club has long aspired to expand to an 18-hole course and the club’s
occupation rights up until October 2022 have included an area of the park on
which this might have occurred. The current occupation rights
of the golf club overlap with the ecologically sensitive streams and wetlands
outlined in Morphum’s research.
35. The draft plan proposes that the watercourses and wetlands and
informal recreation management areas in the park are no longer considered
appropriate for golf activity. Accordingly, upon expiry of the
club’s current occupation rights, the draft plan proposes to limit the
future expansion of golf activity to within the golf activity footprint as
shown in Appendix 1 of the draft plan.
Development of proposed vision and goals
36. Informed by
the five themes emerging from community engagement, watercourse research, and
discussions with mana whenua, the following park vision and goals are proposed:
Figure 1: Proposed park vision
and goals
37. The vision
and goals were discussed with the development committee at workshops, where
support for the direction was expressed.
Key moves in the draft reserve management plan
38. The
key moves proposed in the draft plan seek to deliver on-the-ground changes and
strongly align with park vision and goals:
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From current
state…
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Proposed future
state…
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Watercourses
and wetlands with high ecological value but are not being sufficiently
protected
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• Ecology of the park is actively
restored and protected. Many policies and actions seek to deliver this future
state including: -
Ø identifying the extent of natural
wetlands
Ø improving fish passage
Ø restoring riparian margins
Ø restoration of south-eastern corner of
the park
Ø investigating the opportunity for a
bird hide
Ø improving water quality
Ø a planting plan focused on
eco-sourcing
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Public
access restricted through golf course when play is occurring and the
perception of limited public access generally
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• Both shared paths and dedicated tracks
(with code of conduct) to enable access and connectivity
• Golf course open days and public
access during quieter periods
• Develop new paths around golf course
and in south-eastern corner of the park
• Leases/licenses throughout the park to
focus on safe public access, multi-use and protecting open space. On the golf
course, the key focus is safe public access and providing open space for
golf.
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A sports
hub; some facilities getting more use than others
Golf club
has plans to extend course
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• Reserve continues to be the premier
sports park for Waiheke with multi-purpose facilities. Many policies and
actions seek to deliver this future state including: -
Ø Investigating new sports facilities as
the island grows
Ø Developing te māra hūpara play space near
sports field
Ø Enhancing environmental standards
throughout the park
Ø Upon expiry of the Golf club’s
existing occupation arrangements in October 2022, the plan proposes the
future golf footprint (as outlined in Appendix 1 of the draft plan) to be
kept within the active recreation and sport management area. This golf
activity footprint includes the area currently used for the 9-hole course and
driving range.
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Little
physical acknowledgment of cultural significance of the park to Ngāti Pāoa and
other mana whenua
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• Strong visual presence for mana whenua
who whakapapa back to the whenua. It is anticipated this will occur through:
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Ø developing interpretation and pou
Ø identifying and protecting viewshafts
and visual connections
Ø conducting archeological surveys and
protecting cultural heritage and values identified
Ø encouraging Māori games and performance
Ø supporting the local museum to tell
stories of mana whenua
Ø bilingual signage
Ø encouraging planting for cultural
harvest
Ø involving mana whenua in all aspects
of park management
Ø the potential for integrated planning
in the future with the Rangihoua maunga
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Informal
use of walkways, facilities, and participation in events
Riparian
planting and park maintenance by volunteers
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• Continue to determine the best and
most appropriate use of multi-use spaces
• Improve universal access to key
destinations
• Continue to support community
participation in a range of park activities.
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The draft plan has been evaluated against critical success
factors
39. To determine
whether the plan is ready to notify, the draft reserve management plan has been
reviewed against critical success factors as shown:
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Critical success factors
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Alignment
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Commentary
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Strategic fit
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• Policies and actions in the management
plan align with outcomes in the Waiheke Local Board Plan
• Site of cultural significance for mana
whenua (Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan)
• Alignment with other council plans
such as the Auckland Urban Ngāhere (Forest) Strategy
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Business need
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• Meets the Reserves Act 1977
requirement for a draft reserve management plan
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Value for money
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• Supports existing use and encourages
careful consideration before committing new investment
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Māori outcomes set out in Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau and
statutory obligations to Māori
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• The
draft plan encourages increased Māori outcomes, giving effect to the principles of te Tiriti o
Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi
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Reduce
inequalities
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• The draft plan encourages universal
access and informal use of the park for active recreation and play
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Enable our communities
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• The draft plan promotes: -
Ø A range of activities in the park to
meet different community interests
Ø sharing of open space and facilities
Ø efficient use of space /
optimisation of existing footprints
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Evidence-based
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• Cultural heritage review identified
the need for archeological survey especially by waterways (included in the
plan as an action)
• Watercourse assessment has informed
the policies and actions relating to restoration of waterways / wetlands
• Partnering with mana whenua and providing multiple
opportunities for community feedback has informed drafting of the plan
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Flexibility
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• The draft plan encourages: -
Ø a diverse range of activities in the
park, including play, informal and active recreation and sport
Ø Riparian planting up to 10 metres from
the edge of watercourses providing flexibility to balance enhancement with
recreation activities
• The draft plan contemplates lease/license activities
rather than naming organisations (Council’s approach to drafting local
parks management plans)
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Transparency of
decision-making
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• The draft plan has identified the
primary values to manage in different areas of the park, through management
policies and actions, which will drive outcomes in these demarcated areas.
• The plan responds to public feedback
by being clear about: -
Ø the high ecological value of waterways
and wetlands and provides greater emphasis on actively restoring these areas
Ø continuing to enable current uses
within existing footprints
Ø the likely impact of the
draft plan on any potential 18-hole golf course expansion and the future
footprint of golf on the park
Ø the rationale for proposing
to use the land in the south-eastern corner of the park for informal
recreation and restoration as outlined on page 14 of the draft plan
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Potential affordability
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• The draft plan proposes capital works such as the
progressive removal of culverts and fish barriers, installation of bridges,
new tracks, and sports field drainage and lighting, which will have a cost
impact over the longer-term. Associated costs are unknown until options have
been weighed up and a preferred solution costed
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Potential
achievability
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• Some actions will be completed during the life of
the plan but progress on critical elements will be contingent on feasibility
studies and funding through the Long-term Plan, partnerships with mana
whenua, and working closely with key stakeholders and the community
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Alignment with
stakeholder expectations (and potential trade-offs)
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• Stakeholder expectations in relation
to the park are numerous and varied. The draft plan has sought to achieve
benefits for a wide range of community interests and the many different park
values people hold, as the park is a significant facility for Waiheke
• The draft plan also strives to meet mana whenua expectations for a
stronger kaitiaki role in park management
• A key trade-off has been identifying areas in the park
for exclusive use versus environmental restoration. The draft plan aims to
work with the Waiheke Golf Club to optimise golf activity within the golf
activity footprint outlined in Appendix 1.
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40. The draft
plan meets the statutory requirements for a management plan under the RA77 and
we recommend that it be publicly notified under section 41 of the RA77 (refer
to Next steps section).
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
41. The direction set out in the draft plan emphasises the role of this
local park in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
42. The following table outlines the impact on climate change of the use
and development that is provided for in the park via the draft plan:
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Use or development
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Approach to minimise
negative impacts on climate change
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Plants
and animals
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The draft
plan encourages planting of native vegetation (including eco-sourced plants)
to increase canopy cover, manage riparian margins and enhance biodiversity
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New
development
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The draft
plan encourages
green building practices in design, construction, and operation of park
facilities
The
draft plan avoids earthworks in waterways and wetlands to protect canopy
cover, manage riparian
margins and enhance biodiversity.
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Access
and parking
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The draft
plan provides for water sensitive design of car parks and encourages active
forms of transport
The draft
plan does not provide for peak use parking
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Use in
coastal areas
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The draft
plan seeks to mitigate the impacts of climate change by adapting to the
effects of climate change. The plan signals facilities in the park
experiencing coastal inundation may need to be re-located in the future.
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Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and views
43. Engagement
has occurred with representatives from the following council units: -
Infrastructure and Environmental Services (including Healthy Waters and
Biodiversity), Community Facilities (including Leasing and Land Advisory),
Parks, Sport and Recreation (including Cemetery Services), Local Board
Services, Connected Communities, Cultural Heritage, Māori Heritage, Plans
or Places, Governance, Legal Services and
Ngā Mātārae.
44. This
engagement has ensured alignment of the draft plan with other council plans and
projects, allowed expert advice to be incorporated into the draft plan, and has
provided an understanding of the potential affordability and achievability of
the draft plan (see paragraph 39).
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board views
Local impacts
45. The draft plan is intended to convey to the
public how the local board intends to manage the park over the next 10 years to
benefit the local community.
46. The public will have the opportunity to make
submissions on the draft plan during the consultation period. As outlined in
paragraph 61, once the draft plan is approved for notification, public
consultation will be open for two months, planned to take place from August to
October 2022.
Local board views
47. Staff held workshops with the development
committee at key project milestones throughout plan drafting[6] and as
shown in the figure below, discussion at these workshops has informed the draft
plan.
Figure
2: Key feedback themes from development committee workshops
48. In
preparing the draft plan, staff have given full consideration to the comments
provided by interested persons and organisations, in accordance with section
41(5)(c) of the RA77. The development committee has been briefed on those
comments.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
49. Staff invited Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāi Tai ki
Tāmaki, Ngāti Maru, Te
Patukirikiri, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā and Ngāti Te Ata to guide and
contribute to the development of the draft plan.
50. While drafting the plan, staff held multiple hui with mana
whenua and received substantial feedback from Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Maru and Te Patukirikiri.
51. On 28 July 2021, staff and Ngāti
Pāoa conducted a site walkover (hikoi) to discuss opportunities and issues
in-depth[7].
52. At
this hikoi, Ngāti Pāoa
raised the vital importance of the park and adjacent maunga to the mana and
wellbeing of Ngāti Pāoa iwi and asked for this significance to be
explicitly acknowledged in the process to draft the reserve management plan and
in the draft plan.
53. The
development committee formally invited Ngāti
Pāoa to attend their workshops in an observation capacity from
August 2021.
54. A
co-governance partnership has been established between Waiheke Local Board and
Ngāti Pāoa for Te Rangihoua maunga which is out of scope of the draft
plan (see paragraph 14 and 17).
55. The
draft plan states the cultural significance of Te Rangihoua maunga and adjacent
Onetangi Sports Park to Ngāti Pāoa and
other mana whenua.
56. We have
worked closely with mana whenua to embed cultural values in the draft plan to
foster stronger partnerships with mana whenua, and to improve Māori
outcomes during plan implementation (refer to Attachment A, pages 16-17).
57. During the
public consultation period staff will invite mana whenua to provide formal
feedback on the draft plan.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
58. There are no cost implications from this decision. Costs for
advertisements and engagement tools are covered through the project budget.
Ngā raru tūpono me
ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
59. The following
table outlines risks and proposed mitigation associated with public
consultation on the draft Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Reserve
Management Plan:
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Risk
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Risk level
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Mitigation
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|
IF the draft
plan does not enable all park user groups’ aspirations
THEN park user
groups may not support direction proposed in the draft plan
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High
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As discussed in paragraphs 24 through to
28, staff have extensively engaged park user groups to fully understand
issues and ideas to inform the direction proposed.
Public
notification of the draft plan provides the opportunity for the community and
stakeholders to make submissions on the draft plan and tell us whether we
have struck the right balance.
Note,
potential trade-offs are discussed in paragraph 39 that impact risk
likelihood. There is a risk that Waiheke Golf Club aspirations and Ngāti
Pāoa aspirations (see paragraph 52) will not be fully achieved by the
draft plan.
|
|
IF
implementation planning does not meet community expectations
THEN park user groups may not support direction proposed in the draft plan
|
Medium
|
Communications
during the public consultation period can acknowledge the draft plan is a
first step in conveying the proposed direction for the park.
Consultation
on the draft plan will generate feedback on the level of priority to be given
to different actions.
Upon
adoption of the plan, further implementation planning will be required as
well as effective handover of priority projects to council departments.
|
Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
Public notification of the draft plan
60. The draft
plan may require minor changes to be made prior to public notification. We
propose that approval of final changes to the draft plan be delegated to the
chair of the development committee.
61. Public consultation
on the draft plan is planned to start in August for two months in accordance
with the RA77, subject to the committee’s approval.
62. Once the
committee has approved the draft plan (including any minor changes approved by
the chair) it will have fulfilled its terms of reference (resolution:
WHK/2020/13).
63. Public
consultation on the draft plan will provide the opportunity for the wider
community to make submissions on the draft plan. Submitters will be given the
opportunity to indicate whether they would like to speak to their submission at
a public hearing.
64. Submissions
and objections will be analysed by staff after the submission period has
closed.
65. After the
2022 election, staff will come back to the local board with options for the
hearings and plan approval process and a timeline to finish the plan. At this
point the local board will be able to consider whether it wants to again (see
paragraph 22) establish a plan approvals committee with an independent
commissioner to consider comments and objections raised during the hearings
process and approval of the final plan.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
|
No.
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Title
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Page
|
|
a⇩
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Draft Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park
Reserve Management Plan
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25
|
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b⇩
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Summary of feedback on the intention to prepare the
Rangihoua Onetangi Sports Park RMP
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55
|
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c⇩
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Rangihoua Reserve and Onetangi Sports Park Kitchen
Table Conversations Report
|
65
|
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d⇩
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Summary of five key themes emerging from community
engagement
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87
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e⇩
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Rangihoua-Onetangi Watercourse Assessment Report -
Executive Summary
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89
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Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
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Authors
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Kiri Le Heron - Service and Asset Planning Specialist
Matthew Ward - Service & Asset Planning Team
Leader
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Authorisers
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Justine Haves - General Manager Regional Services
Planning, Investment and Partnership
Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager – Aotea/Great
Barrier and Waiheke Local Boards
|
