Regional Parks Management Plan Regional Parks Management Plan

of the region. The regional parks retain over 182 kilometres of region’s coastline in an
undeveloped state. 2
The regional park network is a special and unique feature of Auckland that is part of its
identity and makes a major contribution to the quality of life of the people in the region. The
regional parks contribute to Auckland’s sense of place and are a source of pride for
Aucklanders, which they use to showcase the region to visitors.
The regional park network is, however, part of a spectrum of public open spaces across the
Auckland region that serve a range of ecological, recreational and amenity purposes, that are
owned and managed by a variety of public agencies and the private sector. One end of the
spectrum comprises open space provided and managed by the territorial local authorities to
meet local community and sub-regional needs, and includes sporting facilities and local
parks and reserves. At the other end of the spectrum are nationally significant open spaces
owned by the Crown and managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). In the
Auckland context, over 60 per cent of the approximate 34,000 hectares of DOC land in the
region is located on the Hauraki Gulf Islands, with the majority being of Great Barrier Island.
The regional parks sit in the middle of this spectrum, and embody many of the region’s
unique physical, ecological and historical characteristics that are of regional and national
significance. While they are used by local communities, their primary role is to serve a
regional constituency. The council however works closely with the other public agencies
and the private sector to provide and care for the region’s public open space network to
maximise the recreational opportunities in the region and to ensure that there is a minimum
of duplication of effort or confusion of roles.
Most of the parks contain places and features of particular significance to tangata whenua
(which in this plan, refers to iwi that have mana whenua over the land in the regional parks).
The parks provide opportunities for the practical expression of the kaitiaki role of tangata
whenua, and for tangata whenua to provide for their hauora (long term wellbeing) where
appropriate and practicable. The parks provide an opportunity for tangata whenua to
maintain cultural identity and connection to places they value.
The new southern regional boundary, determined by the Local Government Commission
and given effect to in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Amendment Act 2010,
comes into effect on 1 November 2010. This boundary change will mean that 10,861.7
hectares of the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and the Waharau and Whakatiwai regional
parks will sit within the Waikato region, though will still be owned and managed by the
Auckland Council. Of this land, part of the Hunua Ranges Regional Park and Waharau and
Whakatiwai Regional Parks will be within the Hauraki District Council’s boundary. The
remainder of the Hunua Ranges will be located within the Whangamarino Ward of the
Waikato District Council.
2.3 Future Future regional regional parks parks
parks
There is a need to continue to expand the regional parks network to meet the challenges of
the future, such as the need to protect valued open space and coastline from development
and to serve the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse population. The pressures and
challenges are outlined in more detail in Part 4 below.
The future purchase of regional parkland will be undertaken in accordance with the Auckland
Regional Parkland Acquisition Plan 1999 3 . Much of the land recommended for purchase in
2 These calculations are based on areas prior to the transition to the Auckland Council.
3 Auckland Regional Parkland Acquisition Plan 1999 (due to be reviewed in 2011)
3
Regional Parks Management Plan 2010