Review of Regional Parks Management Plan

Review of Regional Parks Management Plan
Issues to consider by Sandra Coney, 12 October 2020

The Regional Parks Management Plan (RPMP) https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-
projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans-strategies/topic-based-plans-strategies/parks-
sports-outdoor-plans/Documents/regional-parks-management-plan.pdf
is being reviewed and the public and stakeholders are being consulted. The RPMP is a
statutory plan developed under the Reserves Act 1977. The current plan was adopted by the
Auckland Regional Council in 2010 and then passed on to Auckland Council.
In the first stage of the review, the Council is asking for feedback on what is important for
the RPMP to cover. Once this is received, they will draft a plan which will go out for a second
round of submissions.
The deadline for comments on this phase is 26 October 2020. Send your
submission/comments to regionalparksplanreview@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
A draft RPMP will be released for comment in July/August 2021.
Sandra Coney chaired the last review and has provided this commentary to guide people
taking part in this review. Feel free to lift recommendations (in blue text) and use them in
your own submissions. This commentary is written with the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park
in mind. As the largest regional park (17,000 ha), the oldest regional park, the foundational
park of the regional parks’ network, and as it is close to the most populated part of the
Auckland region, the Waitakere Ranges parkland deserves special attention and faces
particular challenges from kauri dieback and over-use.
The existing RPMP sections on the Waitakere Ranges followed extensive consultation about
the future of the Ranges. It is critical that the new RPMP does not deviate significantly from
the values and management focus that were established in the existing plan which set a
benchmark of public interest and ownership, environmental and landscape protection, and
did not promote tourism/commercialisation.
The Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland is especially significant as this park was the first
park of national significance established in the Auckland region (Auckland Centennial
Memorial Park Act 1941). It is within the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area established
through legislation in 2008 which gives it national significance and says that a management
plan for the Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland will be developed (this can be as a section
of a wider regional plan). The WRHA Act requires the Council to adopt the special
consultative procedure set out in Section 83 of the Local Government Act 2002.
It is important to recognise that the regional parks are not just a collection of parks but a
network with common values, management policies and style. Regional parks are
recognisable for their natural values, farmed areas and their management using a dedicated
ranger service. In Auckland Council most of the tasks carried out in local parks are carried

out by contractors managed by managers. During the period of Auckland Council (2010-
2020) considerable inroads have been made into the way regional parks are managed, the
roles of rangers have been reduced and many specialised staff removed from the regional
parks’ team. In particular, the regional parks farm business unit has been disbanded and
farming is now managed by a regionwide team outside regional parks which has reduced its
focus on demonstrating sustainable farming as an exemplar for the Auckland region.
The regional network enables the parks to be managed in a consistent way, to have a single
over-arching identity that is known to Aucklanders, and allows efficiencies in day-to-day
management, for example, rangers can be shifted around to where the need is. It is
important that this network remains intact and coherent and is not broken up.
Key changes in the review of the RPMP
There have been new park additions since the RPMP was adopted in 2010. These have been
on the South Head of the Kaipara, Mahurangi and in the Waitakere Ranges, the 78 hectare
Taitomo Block at Piha and an addition to McCreadies Paddock at Karekare. The Taitomo
Block was the subject of a variation so is already integrated into the plan.
The other key change is actions around kauri dieback. Regional parks lead a consultation on
which tracks people wanted upgraded first, listed in order of priority. Some tracks it was
proposed to permanently shut. Council has then applied a Controlled Area Notice or CAN to
these tracks, closing most tracks and re-opening them when upgrading has taken place.
However, this work occurred without locating it within the context of the RPMP,
consequently the policies of the RPMP have not been integrated into this work. This means
much of the track upgrading work is actually contrary to the existing management plan. The
track upgrading work has resulted in a proliferation of built structures in the park –
boardwalks, steps, hand railings etc - which the management plan says should be avoided.
The whole length of tracks have been upgraded when sometimes there are only, one, two
or three kauri trees on them.
This management plan review is a chance to re-address the kauri dieback upgrading and
embed it within a framework which seeks to protect the park values.

The review of the RPMP should revisit the direction of works to protect kauri in
the park.
The track upgrading should be embedded in a policy context that seeks to
protect the values of the park, the natural features within it and the visitor
experience.
Any proposals to close tracks permanently should be reviewed as part of this
RPMP review.
The heritage and history of individual tracks should be part of such a review.

Issues raised in discussion document
The review of the RPMP also raises issues to consider such as climate change, new forms of
recreation and expanding commercial activity. There is a discussion document and a survey.
These can be read in detail here:
https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/regional-parks-management-plan

The following recommendations address some of the issues raised, but all can be found by
reading the discussion document.
Climate change was addressed in the existing RPMP. The regional parks are already the
largest carbon sink provided by the Council. While there is significant replanting every year,
some areas of regional parks are kept open for farming and for open space for recreation
and visitor experience (for views). The discussion document asks whether replanting should
be expanded and whether faster-growing exotics should be used.

Replanting in regional parks should continue at the current pace, with specific
areas kept in pasture for recreational purposes and to protect landscapes and
cultural features. Replanting should only be in indigenous species, not exotics.
Emissions can also be reduced by developing travel demand management so
that people can access parks on public transport or shuttle buses.
The policy of “pack in, pack out” for waste should be continued.
There should be no charge to enter regional parks. They should be free for
informal use. They are owned by the public of Auckland.
E bikes and drones should not be allowed in the Waitakere Ranges Regional
Parkland as it experiences high rainfall, the terrain would be damaged, and
there would be conflicts with other users. Both the existing RPMP and the
Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act emphasise protecting the naturalness of
the Ranges and, specifically, the quiet.
There is sufficient mobile phone connectivity for safety reasons and no
extension of connectivity is necessary. In addition, there is value in having
areas where the trappings of modern urban life are absent and people can
connect directly with nature, not mediated through technology.
Revenue-generating activities should not be expanded in the Waitakere Ranges
Regional Parkland to respect its heritage, and to not attract additional visitors
because of existing pressures on use. Such activities should be located in
under-used parks.

How the current Regional Parks Management Plan is set out
The current plan has 16 sections which are generic to all parks, and cover such things as
policies, parks classification and what activities are allowed, controlled or prohibited. Not
everything is covered in this summary. Much of the existing plan could be carried forward
into a new plan or updated.
The second part of the plan covers specific parks and in the case of the Waitakeres,
locations within the wider parkland. What I’ve done is summarise the parts of the plan most
relevant to the Waitakere Ranges and then in blue text, highlighted recommendations (from
me) that people can choose to include in submissions on the review.

The existing Regional Parks Management Plan - Key features of regional parks network
Regional parks were acquired for their landscape, natural and cultural values, to inculcate an
ethic of stewardship in citizens and to provide low-key informal recreational opportunities.
The first park was the Waitakere Ranges, followed by Wenderholm in 1965. There are now
28 regional parks. Waitakere Ranges is the largest and contains the largest eco-system.
Vision regional parks (Section 1)
“Regional parks are exemplars of the diverse landscapes and natural environments of the
Auckland region, enabling people to enjoy respite and recreation in outstanding locations,
and through linking them to the land and sea, encouraging them to become stewards of this
legacy for future generations.”
Purpose regional parks (Section 2)
“The regional parks represent many of the special natural and cultural qualities of the
Auckland region. The parks are purchased and managed to protect their intrinsic, natural,
cultural and landscape values and to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the
enjoyment and benefit of the people of the region.”

The existing vision and purpose of the regional parks network should be
retained.
The regional parks should remain part of a network under the Governing Body
of Auckland Council as befits their origins and purpose.
The foundation of the regional parks was the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park which was
created in 1941 to commemorate the centenary of Auckland city. After work to assess the
whole region and suitable areas for regional parks the next regional park was Wenderholm
in 1965 which otherwise was to be subdivided. In other words, the regional parks network
was established in a considered, planned manner to ensure it contained a representation of

the key landscapes and eco-systems of Auckland. The parks contain areas significant to iwi
so provide an opportunity for tangata whenua to maintain cultural identity and connection
to places they value.
There is a need to expand the parks network to protect valued coastline and open space
from development and cater for an expanding population.
The Auckland Regional Parks Acquisition Plan is dated 1999, so was done 21 years ago.
There is an urgent need to update it to provide guidance for future purchases.

Auckland Council needs to develop an acquisition plan for regional parks to
guide the next 20 years. There are opportunities for new regional parks close
to urban areas and linkages between parks and maunga.
Park values (Section 3)
The values of regional parks are: intrinsic, natural (ecosystems and biodiversity, national and
regional significance, viable ecosystems, getting in touch with and restoring nature),
landscape (iconic scenery, minimal development), tangata whenua (expression of
kaitiakitanga, tangata whenua hauora), cultural (historic associations, sense of identity and
place, farming), recreational (freedom of access, available for future generations,
experiencing wilderness and nature, range of outdoor activities, access to the coastline,
health benefits, ability to socialise, opportunity to volunteer, ability to learn, ability to stay
in a park), economic values.

Pressures and challenges (Section 4)
The pressures and challenges are: socio-economic (population growth, demographic
change, economic change, cost of travel, tangata whenua aspirations), development (urban
expansion and intensification, development of the coastline), recreation (loss of open space,
lack of confidence in outdoor experience, farming – sustainable farming, public involvement
requires investment), environment (attitude to environment, human disturbance –
unsuitable activities/high impact, pest control, threatened species, climate change,
pathogens), management (sustainable management, prioritisation of conservation efforts,
managing transition to Auckland Council, monitoring and research).

Management principles (Section 6)

   •   Protect the intrinsic value, worth and integrity of regional parks.
   •   Protect and enhance Auckland’s unique landscapes
   •   Enhance the native diversity and the viability of ecosystems of the region
   •   Recognise and provide for the relationship of tangata whenua with their ancestral
       taonga
   •   Promote and demonstrate wise stewardship of the region’s environment

•   Protect heritage features and tell the region’s stories
   •   Public ownership
   •   Guarantee free access to regional parks
   •   Provide a range of quality outdoor visitor experiences
   •   Enable access to the coastline
   •   Manage land and core visitor services through a dedicated ranger service
   •   Protect and enhance the amenity of the regional parks
   •   Minimise the impacts of development
   •   Limit activities that have an adverse impact on the environment and other park uses
   •   Facilitate public knowledge and safe enjoyment of the parks
   •   Be adaptive and responsive
   •   Provide for a range of activities within the regional parks network
   •   Facilitate community participation
   •   Be a good neighbour

The regional parks network’s park values, pressures and challenges
and management principles should be retained in the revised RPMP.

Integrated management framework (Section 7)
Parks are grouped into classes which defines how they are managed.
Class 1 Natural
Class 2 Natural and recreation
Class 3 Recreation
Waitakere Ranges and Hunuas are the prime Class 1 parks which means there will be “a
wilderness experience in a predominantly natural landscape”. The emphasis is on protection
of the natural and cultural environments and scenic landscapes which providing for
recreation “where appropriate”. Informal activities such as walking, tramping, remote
camping and picnicking. Limited group activities and events. Number of people limited and
dispersed. Minimal infrastructure and parking. Limited structured programmes and interp.

Regional parks should continue to be grouped according to the class system
and managed according to that class.
The entire Waitakere Ranges to remain a Class 1 park with the emphasis on
wilderness and low-key appropriate recreation and minimal infrastructure.
The Auckland Council will implement strategies to control visitor numbers in
the Waitakeres and to disperse visitation. In particular, it will not market the
Waitakere Ranges parkland, will hold concessions at current numbers, and will

not develop specific visitor destination ‘skite sites’ such as selfie lookouts or
bridges.
Design principles (Section 7.2) are set out to ensure any development on a park meets the
vision for the park and does not threaten park values. Formalisation is to be avoided,
minimise intrusion of structures, avoid prominent locations such hill tops and prominent
ridges, use natural materials, avoid archaeological sites, minimise vegetation clearance.
As part of any concept or development plan “undertake a landscape and parks values
assessment”.
Note: Piha has specific Parks Design Guidelines for regional parks.
Any significant development on a park must have a concept plan (Section 7.3), as must any
new addition to a park or a new park. This is to be followed by a development plan. The
public must be able to consult on both. If any significant change is to be made to a concept
or development plan it must be done as a variation to the RPMP or the Council annual plan.
There can be Special Management Zones SMZs (Section 7.5) to protect park values in high
use or sensitive areas. Management actions will limit some activities in these zones. In the
last management plan, this was usually a limit on large sporting activities in an area,
however, through this Review, other activities could also be limited.
There are a number of tools that can be used (Section 7.6) to manage parks including using
the ranger service, placing conditions on some activities, placing limits or caps on some
activities, prohibiting inappropriate activities, education, codes of conduct etc. Monitoring,
researching and benchmarking will be used to ensure the values of parks are protected.

The RPMP will retain the existing range of management tools, in particular
running the parks by a ranger service.

Sustainability (Section 8)
Climate change is addressed in Section 8.1 which focusses on increasing net carbon
sequestration and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by ecological restoration. Sea level
rise, flooding and fire are addressed in 8.4. Parks are no smoking.

Travel Demand Management (Section 8.3) aimed to encourage people reaching parks by
walking, biking and public transport and minimising carparking and roading within parks.

The RPMP to protect natural settings (Section 10)
Protection is provided by maintaining the naturalness and undeveloped character of
landscapes and by protecting the dark night sky. The Waitakere Ranges regional park

contains 22 significant geological features such as Anawhata Gorge, Lion Rock, The Gap,
Wainamu Lakes that are specifically protected in regional plans.
Indigenous species, habitat and eco-systems are to be protected, by managing species and
habitats, maintaining water quality, address fish passage and avoid adverse effects. The
parks management will maintain biosecurity programmes to control pests.

The naturalness of the Waitakere Ranges will be the priority for protection and
management programmes will be directed to this end.

Farmed settings (Section 12)
Pastoral farming is retained on some regional parks, to protect rural landscapes, provide
open areas and to allow urban citizens to experience farming. While most of the Waitakere
Ranges regional parkland is vegetated, farmed areas remain at Little Huia, Whatipu and Pae
o te Rangi. At the time the RPMP was adopted farms in regional parks were run by a special
business unit which ensured stock were people friendly, best practices were followed with
animal welfare and husbandry, some unique stock were carried on farms, sustainable
farming practices were followed and demonstrated, and the income from farming broke
even with costs. When Auckland Council took over, the farming role was removed from
regional parks and given to a Council-wide farming unit.

A Farming Business Unit will be reinstated within the Regional Parks
management.

Recreation and Use Management (Section 13)
Recreation is provided for but is aligned to the park class and vision and does not unduly
compromise park values and visitor experience. Recreational activities are primarily for the
enjoyment and use of the people of Auckland “while making provision for commercial
activities where they are aligned…” When considering these the council must take into
account “cumulative impacts”, high public use and adverse effects on parks’ values.
The principal permitted activity in parks is “walking, tramping and running”. People are
discouraged from going “off-track” and going forward opportunities will be sought for
longer routes, connectivity within and outside parks, providing accessible walkways for
people with limited mobility.
Dogs are excluded from some areas of high biodiversity. In other areas they must be on-
leash. There is one off-leash area in the Waitakere Ranges parkland and that is Kakamatua.
Recreational cycling and mountain-biking are not allowed in the Waitakere Ranges parkland
except for family cycling at Exhibition Drive which is sealed. The reason for this is to prevent
damage to tracks and to vegetation, spreading pest species, and user conflict. The
Waitakere Ranges is particularly prone to damage because of the high rainfall.

Maintain the prohibition on any form of cycling in the Waitakere Ranges to
prevent damage to tracks and vegetation, spread of kauri dieback and to avoid
conflict with walkers.
Continue to prohibit off road use of vehicles and access to beaches except for
emergency use and launching boats in designated places.

Controlled activities (Section 13.4)
These are activities that could have negative impacts.

Continue to allow horse riding only in designated places.
Continue to provide for overnight stays in designated campgrounds, baches,
lodges and at designated sites and parking areas.
Continue to prohibit freedom camping.
Continue to provide bach escapes as an opportunity to cater for the public at
reasonable cost, run by Auckland Council (not commercialised).

Discretionary activities (Section 13.5.1)

Continue to manage all commercial activities, activities that require a
permanent presence, and those set out in 13.5.1.2 in the existing plan, as
discretionary activities requiring approval. Continue to allow for notification
and set a benchmark for notification, such as number of people involved.
Section 13 of the RPMP also covers concessionaires and filming. In the past decades there
have been examples of concessions being granted for activities that are potentially
damaging or harmful to the visitor experience. For example, canyoning at Kitekite Falls, and
granting a concession for a firm to provide caravan camping on the scheduled Radar Station
site at Piha and allowing filming at night on a site where there are nesting grey-faced
petrels.

Continue to facilitate filming in regional parks but develop the code of conduct
or protocol as outlined in 13.5.3.3 of the existing RPMP. Also develop an
environmental framework for filming in conjunction with the Waitakere
Ranges Local Board.
Avoid high-impact and adventure tourism such as bungie jumping or canyoning
and avoid sites that are scheduled or part of an Outstanding Natural Feature or
Outstanding Natural Landscape in the Unitary Plan.

Retain the policy on plaques and memorials.
Prohibited activities (Section 13.6)
These are activities considered inappropriate for regional parks and include recreational
hunting, burials, scattering of ashes, mining and set netting.

Retain the policy on prohibited activities. In particular continue to prohibit
recreational hunting and set netting in the Waitakere Ranges Regional
Parkland.

Infrastructure (Section 14)
This has the objective of providing the minimum needed for visitor and park operational
needs, in a manner that does not compromise park values. Infrastructure should avoid
prominent locations and avoid the foreshore and coastal environment. They should not
impact on views to and from the water. Structures should be grouped, and appropriately
located at carparks.

Continue to keep infrastructure to a minimum and do not locate in prominent
positions such as cliff edges or on the foreshore.
Roads should preferably be gravel, preferably single lane, have natural and revegetated
edges.

Do not formalise roads or parking by sealing, marking out or curbing and
channelling.
Tracks should minimise structures such as steps, boardwalks, seats, signs, and
safety barriers, can be of variable standard along the length, should direct
water away from track surfaces and minimise vegetation clearance.
Manage risk by putting signs at the carparks and beginnings of tracks rather
than at the hazard.
Provide for a range of selected tracks for people with mobility issues. Ensure
these tracks are not those which already suffer from congestion and limited
space.

The plan provides for five types of tracks: paths (in arrival zones only or for people with
mobility issues); Walking Tracks (walks up to one hour with compacted track surfaces and
bridges and boardwalks over permanently wet areas; tramping tracks (access to remote
areas, tracks will be formed and drained, may have difficult terrain); routes (unformed trails

with marker posts, across farmland); shared use tracks and roads (internal park and service
roads).
These standards have been increasingly disregarded with many tracks upgraded because of
kauri dieback even if there is only a single or a few kauri on the track length.

Individual Parks – Waitakere Ranges Regional Park (Section 17.19)
The introduction to this section notes that the parks unique values “are under pressure from
increasing visitor numbers and its proximity to the growing urban area”. When a variation to
the plan for Waitakere was developed in 2007 “there was a strong message from submitters
that there was a need to protect these values” (natural and cultural values). The parkland is
increasingly popular for tourism operators, screen production companies and for sporting
events…
       ”compared to other parks in the network, demand for these discretionary activities
       in the Waitakere Ranges is very high. Because of this, a precautionary approach has
       been taken. Limits have been paced on the size and nature of some activities that
       can take place at certain locations as a way of managing cumulative impacts on the
       park and the enjoyment of the park by other users.”
Regarding the track network, “There is a desire to maintain natural surfaces and avoid
unnecessary structures or introduced material on the tracks. The focus on maintenance
should be on good drainage of the track surfaces.”
This approach has been considerably undermined in recent years, first of all by the policies
surrounding kauri dieback protection, and secondly by a drift towards catering more overtly
to tourists and visitors seeking places and locations where they can take selfies and
experience spectacular sights, even where this is contrary to the management plan.

Park vision for Waitakere Ranges (Section 17.19.2)
“A regional conservation and scenic park that is managed to protect and enhance its unique
natural, cultural and historic values and wilderness qualities; to provide a place of respite for
the people of Auckland, to provide for a range of compatible recreational activities in
natural settings, and to cultivate an ethic of stewardship.”

Maintain the existing vision for the Waitakere Ranges Regional
Parkland.
Special management zones SMZs are set out on 17.19.3 and include Anawhata, Hillary Trail,
huia, kaitarakihi, Kakamatua, Karamatura, Karekare, Lake Wainamu, Lion Rock, Little Huia,
Mercer Bay Loop Track and lookouts, MT Donald McLean, North Piha, Pararaha, Tasman and
Gap lookouts, Wai O Kahu/Piha Valley, Whatipu (go to the section for the complete list).

Management focus is set out with emphasis on opportunities for iwi to strengthen
connections, protection and restoration of forest, respite for people of Auckland, protection
of water supply, increased emphasis on stewardship and education visitors, developing
Hillary Trail, developing Arataki as visitor destination with potential café.
Council has to demonstrate that any decision taken on parkland has taken into account the
Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act especially, effects on a heritage feature, impacts on
landscape and wilderness qualities, visual impacts on character of coastline, impacts on
quietness and darkness, natural functioning of streams.

Council will assess and document how decisions impact on the heritage
features of the WRHA act.
Management policies for the whole Waitakere Ranges include the following

    •   Comprehensive pest animal control
    •   Restore sea and shorebird habitat
    •   Work with neighbours on pest plant control
    •   Isolate bank edges to deter rubbish dumping
    •   Review camping in park including expanded opportunities for camping and overnight
        stays by campervans
    •   Avoid over-use of particular places. Limit the number of sporting events with 50 or
        more at Anawhata (1 per year), Karekare (4), North Piha (2), Pararaha (1), Wai O
        Kahu Piha valley, includes Kitekite Falls) (3) Whatipu (not in Scientific Reserve) (3).

The areas within the Waitakere Ranges parkland listed in 17.19.3 will continue
to be managed as Special Management Zones. Whether these should be
extended to limit other activities (in addition to sporting activities) will be
assessed.
At Wai O Kahu (Piha Valley including Kitekite Falls) prohibit sporting events or
gatherings of any kind of more that 50 people, except in open grassy spaces
(Byers Track and Piha Mill Camp).
Assess whether these limits should be also be applied to filming, or other types
of gatherings, except for education groups, conservation groups, community
gatherings and similar.
This document does not cover every single location in the Waitakeres but is focused particularly on
those on the outer perimeter usually near the coast. These locations attract the highest numbers of
visitors. In general, the policies and actions for these areas are sound and should continue.

Anawhata

Keep remote, unsealed access road, retain farmland, investigate best way to protect
seabirds from dogs, reroute tracks to keep people walking off road, renovate Craw
Homestead and bring into bach escapes, maintain area around where Hettig House stood as
open grassland.
Since then Craw homestead has been renovated and a campground developed. Track has
been rerouted to keep people off road.

Maintain Anawhata as remote location and address visitor pressures around
parkland and private land.
Arataki
For Arataki there were actions to develop Beveridge Track and provide accessibility for
people in wheelchairs, make this the entry point to Hillary Trail, enhance role of Arataki for
education. By and large these developments have occurred and Arataki hosts more
programmes especially Matariki. However, the proposal of a café was sidelined and stalled
even though plans had been drawn up by the original architect Harry Turbott.

Continue to plan for the provision of a café at Arataki.
Institute a shuttle bus service which could be linked to Beveridge
Track/Exhibition Drive, and outer beach areas such as Piha.
Cornwallis
Manage as major beach destination and picnic area with boat ramp.

Remove pines on Puponga Point
Address weed incursions on Puponga Point.
Develop and implement a pest animal and plant management plan for
Cornwallis. Support Petrel Head community group.
Hillary Trail
Aim of the trail is to provide a multi-day over-night tramping experience for families and
young people with suitable fitness. As it is the first such trail for council adopt a
precautionary approach. There was extensive consultation with local groups and
communities before inaugurating the HT who said it would be OK as long as tracks remained
at current standards and the trail was not commercialised.

Hillary Trail will not undermine the wilderness focus of the parkland and a
precautionary approach will continue to apply.
There will be no commercialisation, packaged tours or concessions except for
groups of young people on a development programme or transport to and
from the trail.

The trail will use existing tracks and infrastructure and will not be upgraded to
Great Walk standard.
Develop an operational plan for the Trail.
Kaitarakihi

Continue to maintain vistas to and from Spragg Memorial consistent with the
deed of gift.
Kakamatua
Following the adoption of the RPMP, the seaward end of parkland at Kakamatua was made
a dog off-leash area by Auckland Council in a separate bylaw process. The consequence is
that dog owners and commercial dog exercisers flock to this area and it has become
significantly degraded. Currently the management plan says Kakamatua should offer a
“remote coastal wilderness experiences” and “protect and enhance the coastal estuarine
and wetland habitats”.

Urgently assess the impact on Kakamatua of being a dog off-leash area on
kauri, the riparian margins of the Kakamatua Stream, and the coastal and
estuarine habitats.
Improve signage about dog control at Kakamatua.
Improve removal of dog faeces at Kakamatua.
Work with dog control to improve surveillance of Kakamatua to ensure dog
rules are adhered to.
Karekare
The RPMP states that the dune and forest ecosystems and habitats will be maintained,
however, the dunes at Karekare are heavily infested with lupins.

Continue prohibition on dogs in Whatipu Scientific Reserve.
Control lupins and restore dune systems.
Maintain intensive protection of dotterel habitat.
Lake Wainamu

With adjoining land owners and community control terrestrial and acquatic
pests and restore Lake Wainamu.
Continue to prohibit motorised vehicles and watercraft from land and lake.
Lion Rock

The RPMP says public access will be limited to the lower two-thirds of Lion Rock because
   of safety concerns, however, this is not being enforced.

   Clarify if it is intended to provide access to the top of Lion Rock, and if not,
   reinstall barriers. No infrastructure should be installed on Lion Rock to
   enable access.
Little Huia

Assess the future of Project K lodge and investigate opportunities for
community use.
Mercer Bay Loop Walk
The RPMP says the track will be managed as an accessible track to lookouts. It also states
that a development plan will be developed for the arrival area to review the layout of the
area while maintained its undeveloped and rugged nature of the area. It seems that such
development plans may exist however they have not been shared with the public. There
have also been plans to close off part of Mercer Bay Loop Track, and to build a track through
the scheduled radar site. The radar site was scheduled after the adoption of the RPMP and
interpretation installed. This area has seen a dramatic increase in numbers in recent years
with consequent over-crowding.

Urgently develop a plan for the maintenance and protection of the scheduled
radar site with input from heritage specialists.
Take steps to prevent people parking on the grassed areas while maintaining
access for rangers and the Marine Dept, Police etc.
Retain the full extent of the existing Mercer Bay Loop Track. Do not build any
additional tracks to lookouts.
Address the informal usage of the cliff edge for launching of paragliders by
ensuring this is safe and does not damage vegetation.
Restore the fire area on Mercer Bay Loop Track.
Ensure the existing lookouts are safe but unobtrusive. Do not build lookouts
for people taking selfies.
Deter people making their way into cliff areas and informal routes to Mercer
Bay.
Do not allow any concessions on this site.
North Piha

This is another area where pressure of numbers has grown, with the area popular with
surfers, fishermen and informal groups. A seabird and shorebird survey identified that there
are nesting grey-faced petrels and penguins in many places in this area. It is dog prohibited
but this is not enforced. While the RPMP says to keep infrastructure to a minimum there
was a plan for a public toilet which has not been actioned. Because of the relatively high use
of this area and because it provides one of the few open grassed spaces at Piha for events, a
toilet is urgently needed. The lack of a toilet can result in people going under trees which
now have seabird burrows under them.

Urgently install public toilets in a discrete place at North Piha.
Protect and restore the dunes at North Piha.
Protect seabirds and shorebirds by deterring people from going near caves,
rocks and vegetated areas where birds are nesting.
Formalise the arrangement with the North Piha Water Supply.
Ensure vehicles cannot access the dunes or beach.
Install interp about why dogs are prohibited and work with dog control to
enforce these rules.
Parau/Big Muddy Creek

Develop and implement a pest plant control programmes especially for the
Manchester Unity Block
Investigate park linkages through Manchester Unity Block.
Taitomo variation.
This was adopted in 2016 but has not been integrated into the RPMP available online at
Auckland Council. It is essentially up-to-date and sound but already some actions have not
conformed to the policies of the plan.

Implement the actions in the Taitomo variation of the RPMP.
Develop a link in the Hillary Trail from Mercer Bay Loop Track to Tasman
Lookout Track that avoids visibility on the Gentle Annie landscape. Consult on
this design.
Consistent with the plan, locate the track between The Gap and the “tennis
courts” away from the edge of the Blowhole and therefore avoid the need for
a fence.
Do not install steps into the Blowhole and thus respect the wahi tapu.

Restore previously burned areas as a priority with suitable (low flammable)
native plants.
Tasman and Gap Lookouts (Piha)
There have been suggestions within the Council that Tasman Lookout Track is formalised
and widened to 1.2 metres. This is undesirable because significant widening would need to
be done to reach this width, it would impact on rock formations in places, and would
endanger grey-faced petrels which nest in this area near tracks. However, work undertaken
in about 2005 has not been completed and there have been fires at Tasman Lookout and at
other places along the track in the last few years.

Do not widen or upgrade Tasman Look Out Track, but continue regular
maintenance.
Protect grey-faced petrels and other birds and avoid disturbance.
With dog control, enforce prohibition on dogs on this track and at The Gap and
install explanatory interp at the beginning of Tasman Lookout Track.
Investigate discrete dogs prohibited signs near Pakiti Rock for people accessing
The Gap along the beach.
Complete the Tasman Lookout project by carrying out pest plant control, low
replanting, and removing temporary fencing.
Restore areas damaged by fires.
Wai O Kahu (Piha Valley)
This area has high ecological values and includes Sir Algernon Thomas Green, Nigel Hanlon
Hut, Piha Mill Camp – which is a historic heritage scheduled site - and Kitekite Falls. This
area attracts huge numbers of visitors and there are a number of commercial concessions in
place including canyoning and tourist walks.
A number of the actions in the last RPMP have not been carried out, including riparian
planting on the Piha Stream, pest pant control at the entrance to the Maungaroa Lookout
Track, remediate the informal tracks off Kitekite Falls Track.
The former site of the Piha Mill is a historic heritage scheduled site and a development plan
was developed. Despite this, a number of works have been carried out that are not part of
the plan. These include a fence across the open space of the scheduled site, signs
prohibiting the public from accessing much of the site and formalised car parking with signs
in what was supposed to be an over-flow carpark. This is despite the RPMP stating that any
work should “retain [ing] vistas of the Piha Mill historic site, particularly from Glen Esk
Road”.

In addition regional parks surveyed and proposed to proceed with a bridge across Glen Esk
Stream at the junction of the Knutzen and Kitekite Tracks, and a second “selfie bridge” from
the Knutzen Track to the Kitekite Track in close proximity to the Falls. For the past 80 years
people have been crossing these streams on foot and it is part of the experience of being in
the forest.

Manage the high visitor numbers at this destination by developing a
management plan to hold and reduce visitor numbers and arrivals by car.
Remove the fence across Piha Mill Camp site and remove the signs prohibiting
access by the public.
Do not proceed with any bridges across Glen Esk Stream including the “selfie
bridge”.
Provide signage that people who do not wish to cross the Glen Esk Stream on
foot, proceed to the lookout on Knutzen Track and return the same way.
Do not develop any further parking areas on the historic heritage site of Piha
Mill Camp.
Continue to investigate a track from Sir Algernon Thomas Green to the bush-
covered area he donated.
Take steps to interpret and protect the eels in Piha Stream at Piha Mill Camp.
Whatipu Scientific Reserve

Implement the conservation plan for the scientific reserve, controlling pest
plant, including gorse and alligator weed.

Recreation and use activities Section 17.19.6
Dogs permitted on lead except for picnic areas, campgrounds, water supply lands, grassed
areas at Cornwallis, Whatipu, Lion Rock, far end N Piha, Piha beach and The Gap, Lake
Wainamu, Tasman Lookout Track.

Informal groups are capped at 50 except for Cornwallis where number is 100. Larger
groups must get permission. No mountain biking anywhere in Waitakere Ranges but family
cycling on Exhibition Drive and Beveridge Track.
Off-track activity is actively discouraged.
There are a few campgrounds for self-contained vehicles but they must book.
Camping in designated camp sites.

Horse riding only at Pae o te Rangi

Continue recreational use of Waitakere Ranges as set in 2010 plan.

Monitoring Section 17.9.17

There will be a Waitakere Terrestrial Monitoring Programme to meet
requirements of the WRHA Act.
The Council will also undertake baseline and long-term monitoring of the social
and environmental impacts of recreational activity on the park and regular
reporting on the range, number and cumulative impacts of activities on the
park.