Environmental

Homebush Road Residents Group

Help us save the Ngauranga green gateway to Wellington.

Aesthetic and Environmental reasons for the City Council to decline the application to rezone the Ngauranga Forest Block to allow for residential development.

In 2006, Prime Property Group purchased a 15 hectare area of regenerating native bush which extends from below Homebush Park and runs along the Hutt Road and up the Ngauranga Gorge to beyond the rail overbridge. At its northern end, the land extends to the ridge of the coastal escarpment. At present the land is zoned Open Space B. Although Prime Property Group has applied to have only a part of the land rezoned for residential development, there is little doubt that if successful, subsequent applications will be made to have the whole 15 hectares rezoned for residential use.

There are two main reference documents that cover reserved land and which set out the requirements and expectations of decision makers. They are:

(a) The Resource Management Act

(b) The Wellington District Plan

Both of these documents were, of course, only promulgated after extensive consultation and deliberation over a considerable period of time. It is to be expected, therefore, that they will form the basis of deliberations and decision making with respect to the Ngauranga Forest land.

Relevant extracts from each are re-produced below in italics, along with our comments:

Issues of National Importance

(a) The Resource Management Act

Section 6 and Section 7 of the RMA provides for land use to be substantially limited or precluded through land use controls

Section 6 - Matters of national importance:

In achieving the purpose of this Act, all persons exercising functions and powers under it, in relation to managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources, shall recognise and provide for the following matters of national importance:

(a) The preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment (including the coastal marine area), wetlands, and lakes and rivers and their margins, and the protection of them from inappropriate subdivision, use, and development:

(b) The protection of outstanding natural features and landscapes from inappropriate subdivision, use, and development;

In our view the Open Space land in question meets both of these criteria – it clearly forms a part of the coastal environment of the Wellington Harbour and is a part of the outstanding natural features of the hills, vegetation and sea of the Harbour.

We would suggest that the beauty and grandeur of the Wellington Harbour is an easy match for any other outstanding natural feature within New Zealand and is of national significance and importance as an important asset that needs to be carefully managed and protected.

Section 7 - Other matters

In achieving the purpose of this Act, all persons exercising functions and powers under it, in relation to managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources, shall have particular regard to:

(a) Kaitiakitanga:

(aa) The ethic of stewardship:

(d) Intrinsic values of ecosystems:

(f) Maintenance and enhancement of the quality of the environment:

(g) Any finite characteristics of natural and physical resources:

This is a legal responsibility and requirement – not just a nice to have option.

(b) Wellington City District Plan

Key Objectives of the District Plan for Open Space:

Protect open space and ecological values

Explanation

The District Plan seeks to protect the open character and ecological significance of such land, whether in private or public ownership. The Plan outlines the Council’s criteria for determining ecological values, and contains rules protecting those values and restricting activities that might compromise them.

An important principle underlying the Council’s approach to open space is that people enjoy such spaces in different ways: both through active recreation and simply as part of the view.

The Plan seeks to preserve the open, natural character of these spaces. The District Plan also supports the Council’s ongoing efforts to create an Outer Town Belt that provides an open undeveloped edge to the city.

Open Space B (Natural environment)

Open Space B land is valued for its natural character and informal open spaces. It involves areas that are used for types of recreation that, in the broadest sense, do not involve buildings or structures. The intention is to keep such areas in an unbuilt or natural state.

This type of open space encompasses both formal and informal open space elements. It includes walkways, scenic areas and open grassed areas where buildings are inappropriate. Its characteristics are minimal structures, largely undeveloped areas and open expanses of land.

Most Open Space B areas are vegetated and often have ecological values or may buffer Conservation Sites.

Objective

To maintain, protect and enhance the open spaces of Wellington City.

Policies

To achieve this objective, Council will:

Identify a range of open spaces and maintain their character, purpose and function, while enhancing their accessibility and usability.

Objective

To maintain and enhance natural features (including landscapes and ecosystems) that contribute to Wellington's natural environment.

Policies

To achieve this outcome, Council will:

Identify and protect from development and visual obstruction landforms and landscape elements that are significant in the context of the Wellington landscape, and in particular significant escarpments and coastal cliffs.

The Wellington faultscarp, coastal cliffs, skylines, areas of open space and areas of existing native vegetation are important components of Wellington's visual character. Where these are not protected by public ownership Council aims to restrict, and avoid, remedy or mitigate the visual impact of, any development. The environmental result will be the protection of the significant features of the Wellington landscape.

Encourage retention of existing native vegetation and where appropriate re-introduce native cover.

Methods

Many open space areas have areas of indigenous vegetation. Existing indigenous vegetation and established trees are an important element in Wellington’s landscape and can also have importance as wildlife habitat, as linking corridors and buffer zones, and for soil and water conservation values. Areas of native vegetation will be retained as far as possible. The environmental result will be the greater protection of indigenous ecosystems.

Understanding the District Plan

Wellington’s open space consists of both private and public land, and many environments - coastal areas, hills, bush areas and playing fields. Whether they are located on public or private land, the Council is responsible for controlling activities at these sites.

We believe that these extracts from the District Plan are very clear and need no further elaboration in relation to Open Space B land.

There are also significant ecological impacts as summarised below:

Ecological Corridors

To allow indigenous fauna and flora to migrate from one area to another, corridors are needed. The corridors are necessary because the land surrounding many of these areas is being more intensively used, and the bordering land is, or will become, much more hostile to native flora and fauna. Throughout the Wellington region, natural areas that are not protected are being converted to pine plantations, lifestyle blocks, new suburbs, or cleared for farming. If this trend continues, we will lose the opportunity to connect significant wildlife areas. Valuable natural areas will become isolated.

In 1988 the Wellington Branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society produced the publication Natural Wellington - a plan to preserve and enhance the Natural Treasures of Wellington City. This publication identified the Ngauranga to Petone Cliffs as an environmentally significant site of mixed regenerating coastal forest with regionally rare plants. It was recognised as an important bird corridor link and forming a visual backdrop to the entrance to the city.

The publication identified the area West of Ngauranga Gorge as another environmentally significant site (which is the area of the proposed plan change). This area west of the gorge was recognised as a vital future link for a bird corridor. This image shows a ‘corridor’ including the Hutt Road, Ngauranga, Tyers Road reserve and through to Mt KauKau reserve.

Detrimental Impact - Summary

In terms of the Aesthetics and overall impact of a change in the current zoning we make the following points:

This is an outstanding natural feature and landscape that forms an integral part of the natural beauty and drama of the Wellington Harbour

It forms a part of the natural character of the coastal environment The green belt forms a natural and outstanding native bush surround for the harbour and hills of Wellington
It is a very prominent piece of land and part of a much larger green belt
It forms a beautiful natural vista that enhances the aesthetics of the harbour
It is in full view of many thousands of visitors, tourists, and Wellingtonians and can be seen from a full 180 degree radius to the north, east and south
It is in full view of tourists and visitors on cruise ships, ferries and aeroplane traffic
The city council has a responsibility to adhere to the RMA ethic of stewardship and the maintenance and enhancement of the quality of the environment andto protect this green belt
In so doing the Council has put together a District Plan that makes it very clear that a key objective for open space land is to protect the open character and ecological significance – whether in private or public ownership
Allowing a rezoning and a subdivision housing development will erode the natural beauty, denigrate the greenbelt and undermine the objectives and intent of its own planning documents

If the RMA and District Plan are to be anything more than words on paper, then simply put, the stated policies and objectives need to be heeded and translated into a walking of the talk.

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