Notes From Meeting to Discuss Draft Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan
Wednesday 29 May at 7pm, St Chads Church, 38 St Johns Rd
Presentation by Auckland Council’s Parks and Places Specialist, Hayley Dauben. There was still more work required before the draft plan is publicly available. In lieu of having the plan to discuss, this meeting was to have a preliminary discussion about the plan, to understand the thought process forming the plan and the plans’ aims.
Notes from meeting:
Timeframe:
- Draft consultation plan is due for release in approximately 6 weeks time.
- Then 1 month period for submissions
- Suggestion, to have an open day at the Men’s Shed during the consultation period, and also discuss at future Residents Association monthly meeting with the aim to form a submission on behalf of the group.
Key Themes in the draft plan:
- Wetland – Water quality:
- How the water quality is changing overtime since it was constructed in 2005, reviewed in 2007 and 2010.
- How the water quality differs between different areas of the reserve eg outer vs across the wetland
- Water quality at the outlet into the Orakei Basin
- Quality target levels have to be realistic and achievable (rural vs urban levels)
- Biodiversity
- Pest control – Animals and weeds
- Golf course has a strong pest control program. Aim is to increase levels of control in the reserve to match the golf course levels.
- Recreational
- It’s a large green space which brings pressure from many competing user requests. The plan will have design principals that future requests will be matched against.
- Dog agility course requested – possibly near the dog pond
- Frisbee Golf course
- Infrastructure at key areas ie clustered rather across whole reserve (so that most of the reserve remains untouched)
- Education
- Schools, clubs, groups etc to make use of the reserve
- Potential environmental educational centre.
Other points / questions:
- Need for more toilet(s), especially for large events.
- Lighting around the reserve
- Pros – light for walking/running around reserve when dark
- Cons – harmful impacts on the birds
- App called “Snap Send Solve”
- “Snap Send Solve is the easiest and most efficient way to notify local councils, utilities or other authorities of issues that need addressing in your community.” https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.outware.snapsendsolve&hl=en
- Maintenance:
- Pathways and boardwalks into the middle of the wetland area/ bird viewing areas have got badly overgrown and as silt levels have raised some of the boardwalks are underwater. Apparently, these paths are not on the asset register so are not in the maintenance schedule. There is a higher service level needed.
- Repairing pathways
- Paths : gravel vs sealed
- Gravel – natural look
- Sealed – access for wheelchairs but increases speed of cyclists
- Pests:
- Pests include: rabbits, rats, possums, stoats, weasels, car
- Carp is an issue in the waterway and degrade the waterway.
- Weeds – perimeter waterways require the removal of weeds. Learnings from Christchurch City on how they manage their waterways and water reserves.
- Men’s Shed
- http://menzshed.org.nz/auckland-east/
- Security signage recommended – a few car breaks-ins have occurred recently
- Main path – possibly to widen to allow bikes and pedestrians to use easily at the same time.
- No dog areas:
- suggestion for a no dog area for picnicking / ball playing area etc
- Fencing
- Communication / signs
- Suggestion to open out the area around the playground as the designated no dogs area for improved leisure and recreation.
- Concern that the reserve is too wet to practically use, although this was challenged.
- Difficult to fence off areas and council bylaws, regulations and service levels make it difficult to change designations. Changing a bylaw is difficult – and this would be challenged as reserve is so popular with dog owners
- suggestion for a no dog area for picnicking / ball playing area etc
- Many areas of the reserve require the dogs to be on a leash – better communication / signs to show where dogs must be on a leash.
- No dog areas:
- Golf club lights:
- Suggestion to request the get painted black (currently white)
- Height / light coverage is within the parameters of the consent.
- Suggestion to request the get painted black (currently white)
- Café – suggestion, location near golf course area, or better utilise the golf club’s public café.
- Timing to implement plan with local board change over – aiming to adopt the plan during the current board’s term.
- Water quality data
- Monitored regularly by Healthy Waters.
- Need to be aware it is an urban storm water system and not a pristine wetland.
- Public and monitored elected members want access to the water quality monitoring data.
- Dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of maintenance in the wetland, and how the weed chocked waterways are reducing water quality.