Summary of MBSJRA’s Opinion on the Draft Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan
Waiatarua Reserve currently provides great off-leash dog recreation, but the presence of off-leash dogs has meant that other recreation activities that could take place in the reserve have not been developed, especially recreation opportunities for our children. We believe that at 41 hectares with 16 hectares of grassland and paths, that the reserve is big enough for many recreation uses without impacting on off-leash dog activities. With an estimated 84% of households in Auckland not being dog owners, and an estimated 89% of households in Meadowbank and St Johns not owning dogs we believe that this justifies alternate recreation areas in the Reserve.
According the Auckland Council’s Policy on Dogs 2012 Waiatarua Reserve is an off-leash dog area: “a place where dogs may be off-leash but still must be under control. A place shared with other users.” While we agree that the vast majority of dogs owners do a good job at controlling their dogs in the reserve, the natural exuberance of dogs enjoying off-leash play it is not always compatible with recreation such as kicking a ball with kids. Feedback from residents and examples of poorly controlled dogs interacting with families means we believe that a on-leash dog area is needed in the reserve.
The draft Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan goes a long way to addressing the environmental improvements that we have sought, but we believe that recreation areas suitable for picnics, ball games and outdoor play are vital to ensure that our children grow up with a connection to the environment and grow up to value it, and that they gain an understanding of the importance of maintaining our environment into the future. We propose a small area of the Reserve be designated on-leash and that this area be used for outdoor recreation and play. Simple fencing similar to that at the playground at the western end of the reserve would be perfect. Click here to download the draft enhancement plan and submit your feedback.
How Do I Provide Feedback?
The Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan is now available and your feedback is requested, closing 12 August 2019. Auckland Council is seeking your input on:
– what you use the reserve for
– when you visit the reserve
– what recreation facilities you’d like to have available
– your environmental priorities.
There will also be a drop-in event at the Menz Shed (in the Abbotts Way car park) 10am – 12noon on Saturday 3 August 2019.
What Is the Background to This Plan?
Waiatarua Reserve covers 41 hectares with 16 hectares of open meadows and paths suitable for recreation. The reserve is a unique area of open space in our suburbs and has many opportunities for environmental and recreation improvements. The purpose of the Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan is to ensure that developments are consistent with the themes of the reserve, protect the natural values and prevent it from being cluttered with ad-hoc developments. It is one of over 2500 beaches, parks and reserves listed as off-leash dog walking areas in Auckland.
What Does MBSJRA Think of the Plan?
We have reviewed the draft Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan and believe that it covers the much needed environmental improvements that we sought to ensure that the wetland health is improved. The plan also outlines the need for increased pest management for animals, fish and plants deemed pests. We like the improved links with the neighbouring golf course too and improved amenities such as seating and rubbish bins.
However, we believe that with 16 hectares of open space, and with suburban backyards increasingly shrinking, that there is also scope to further improve the recreation amenity in the Reserve. While well utilised as an off-leash dog walking area, the presence of off-leash dogs precludes other recreation activities such as causal backyard style cricket or soccer games with friends. Discussions with residents with children show that the reserve is not especially well used by that group due to the presence of dogs, and examples of dogs intimidating children and interfering with their play are many. There is a small playground area at the far western end of the park, but this playground area is not large enough for anything other than playing on the provided play equipment. The popularity of this playground demonstrates that people want to get outside with their children and that people think that Waiatarua Reserve is a great place to do this.
Waiatarua Reserve is a huge green area with more than enough space for everyone that wants to use it, and increasingly in this day and age we need to find ways to increase the amount of time our children spend outside, eating outside, active outside and feeling a connection to our environment and ownership of the importance of maintaining it into the future. Studies also show time and again that for improved physical and mental health we need to get our kids (as well us adults too) outside and active, so why not make use of the biggest green space in the suburb? Notwithstanding that Waiatarua is a regional facility as well and hugely popular with dog owners generally we believe it is too valuable a green space to be solely dedicated to our four-legged friends.
Where Could These Recreation Areas Be?
To be clear, this proposal would have little if any impact on dog walking in the Reserve. The area to the left of the entrance way at 139/141 Grand Drive is the prime location for a recreation area with dogs on-leash. As shown by this flood zone map on page 11 of the plan, the area is not flood prone and observations show that the area is impressively dry even after heavy rain. It’s also accessible via a separate bridge close to the boundary with 147 Grand Drive. It is adjacent to the golf course and a planned path connecting the two areas, and is already planted with mature exotic trees, and of course is the closest point to the Meadowbank town centre. This area is identified in the plan as an area suitable to “provide opportunities to connect with nature and lean about natural and cultural aspects of the reserve” (page 29) and suitable for high infrastructure intensity.
The main feature that a recreation area with dogs on-leash needs is a very basic fence to delineate the area on all sides. This could be similar to the basic fence surrounding the play area in the south-western corner of the park. We would like to see closer cropped grass if possible, picnic tables under the trees, and assuming it’s far enough away from the houses (which are elevated and screened by hedges and trees) some play equipment for kids would be ideal. These could even be more nature based e.g. tree trunk stepping stone type play equipment and other natural material based Māori traditional play (māra hūpara) as have been installed in playgrounds elsewhere in Auckland. We would prefer to see this clustered in one area where children can play without dogs around.
Trees provide the perfect obstacle course.
If the Grand Drive entrance area of the reserve is not deemed suitable, then pushing out the fenced area at the current playground into the large, flat, open space there (noted as 13a on page 27 of the plan and pictured above) to enable some balls/frisbees/picnic sitting on the ground, meeting other families etc without having to worry about kids and picnics vs. off-leash dogs, or indeed a space for older children to be able to go down with their friend, be somewhat independent and having a good time out of the house. The path currently used by dog walkers could be re-routed to the east of this proposed area.
Photo credit: Theo Leach
This area only needs to be about the size of Meadowbank School’s field, which is an extremely small percentage of the reserve – compare these two maps to get an idea of the size of the area we are suggesting:
How Many Auckland Households Own Dogs? How Many Households Own Dogs in Meadowbank and St Johns?
According to Auckland Council an estimated 15% of Auckland households are registered dog owners, with slightly lower ownership rates in Meadowbank and St Johns. This means that 85% or more of households don’t own dogs. We believe this supports a more varied use of Waiatarua Reserve, and its size, geography and the route that dog owners generally walk their dogs would easily adapt to more varied recreational uses.
Auckland Council Policy on Dogs 2012
The Auckland Council Policy on Dogs 2012 notes that Waiatarua Reserve is designated as “an off-leash area – a place where dogs may be off a leash but must still be under control. A place shared with other users.” This Policy on Dogs also notes that being a responsible dog owner means (among other things) being particularly vigilant near children and closely supervise interaction, respect other people’s personal space and to remember that public spaces are for everyone’s enjoyment and not everyone is fond of dogs. While we agree that the vast majority of dogs owners do a good job at controlling their dogs in the reserve, due to feedback from residents and examples of poorly controlled dogs we believe that a recreation area where dogs need to be on-leash is needed in the reserve. Our preference is for all dogs in Waiatarua Reserve to be well controlled as per the Dog Policy so that a separate recreation area is not needed, but unfortunately this is not the current situation.
Our Presentation to Orakei Local Board in September 2019
In September 2019 we presented to the Orakei Local Board at their monthly meeting on what we would like to see as part of the Waiatarua Reserve Enhancement Plan. You can read the content of the presentation here and the powerpoint presentation here. The Orakei Local board passed a resolution to explore an additional designated on-leash dog area. We thank the Orakei Local Board for the opportunity to present to them and for considering our request.
