Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Long Bay - Okura - Great Park - ARC's role...

Yesterday we had a deputation from the Long-Bay Great Park Society at the monthly ARC Council meeting. I would estimate around 50 members of the Society were in attendance. Very impressive. The submission related to the need to protect a piece of land presently zoned for urbanisation, and not otherwise protected.

In its submission, the Society was fulsome in its praise of ARC's efforts during the Environment Court action that has followed notification of Plan Changes and Structure Plans that relate to Long Bay land that overlooks and is adjacent to Long Bay regional park land and the beach.

During my time on ARC I have tried to get ARC to purchase more land, to ensure better protection of existing park assets, and to provide a better buffer between urban development and the coastal park experience. But my efforts have not found majority support among my fellow councillors who have prioritised purchase of parkland an hour or more away from Auckland, and accessible only by car.

However, ARC did decide to become heavily involved in defending public values during Environment Court and related proceedings. This action - in conjunction with expert evidence provided by Great Park Society (funded by them to the extent of about $400,000) - has led to the establishment of 3 buffer areas (which cannot be built upon), and a large Heritage Protection Area (the site of pre-European and colonial-European archaeology), which also have the effect of protecting the regional park and coastal experience from development.

I am advised that the value of land thus protected is around $30,000,000. The ARC's costs in this effort have been estimated at $1,000,000.

ARC has called for a report investigating further the Great Park Society's submission and call for further protection of another piece of land.

No comments:

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Long Bay - Okura - Great Park - ARC's role...

Yesterday we had a deputation from the Long-Bay Great Park Society at the monthly ARC Council meeting. I would estimate around 50 members of the Society were in attendance. Very impressive. The submission related to the need to protect a piece of land presently zoned for urbanisation, and not otherwise protected.

In its submission, the Society was fulsome in its praise of ARC's efforts during the Environment Court action that has followed notification of Plan Changes and Structure Plans that relate to Long Bay land that overlooks and is adjacent to Long Bay regional park land and the beach.

During my time on ARC I have tried to get ARC to purchase more land, to ensure better protection of existing park assets, and to provide a better buffer between urban development and the coastal park experience. But my efforts have not found majority support among my fellow councillors who have prioritised purchase of parkland an hour or more away from Auckland, and accessible only by car.

However, ARC did decide to become heavily involved in defending public values during Environment Court and related proceedings. This action - in conjunction with expert evidence provided by Great Park Society (funded by them to the extent of about $400,000) - has led to the establishment of 3 buffer areas (which cannot be built upon), and a large Heritage Protection Area (the site of pre-European and colonial-European archaeology), which also have the effect of protecting the regional park and coastal experience from development.

I am advised that the value of land thus protected is around $30,000,000. The ARC's costs in this effort have been estimated at $1,000,000.

ARC has called for a report investigating further the Great Park Society's submission and call for further protection of another piece of land.

No comments: