Brian Rudman: Volcanic sites deserve UN recognition

It would be nice, every now and again, if the Department of Conservation's Wellington bureaucrats showed signs of appreciating that a third of DoC's annual $300 million income comes out of the pockets of Auckland taxpayers.

But once again, with the release of DoC's list of "six tentative candidates" for World Heritage Site listing, Auckland gets the cold shoulder.

Instead, remote and sparsely peopled sites far from the Big Smoke pick up three of the six nominations: Kahurangi National Park at the northwest corner of the South Island, the ghost-town of Oamaru farther south, and the distant Kermadec Islands 1000km northeast of civilisation.

The other three are Papamoa Pa near Tauranga, Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Napier's dinky cluster of post-earthquake art deco buildings.

Now far be it from me to bad-mouth these places, or ponder whether they're worthy of a place on a list that includes the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China and Tower of London.

But they are "also-rans" compared with Auckland's unique field of 50-odd volcanic cones, and DoC Auckland - if not DoC Wellington - knows it. In 1995, the department's Auckland Conservancy declared achieving World Heritage Site status for the volcanoes an integral part of its conservation management strategy for the region. If the head office wallahs don't have a copy, I can send them one.

DoC Auckland spokesman Warwick Murray loyally argues that Wellington's list is only "indicative" and "is certainly not a comprehensive one". To add Auckland's volcanic field, "what is needed is some submissions from the public". His office has written to the Auckland Volcanic Cones Protection Society and other groups telling them to have their say.

Here's hoping Auckland's local politicians join the campaign. If they're wondering what's the point, all they have to do is type in "world heritage site" on an internet search engine and see the tourism drawcard it is for existing title-holders.

There are 788 sites on the Unesco list. Everything from the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan and the Monastery of Haghpat in Armenia to Fraser Island, Queensland, the last there because it claims to be the largest sand island in the world. So?

The aim of listing is to seek "to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity".

To be selected, a site must have "outstanding universal value" and meet at least one of 10 listed criteria, which include cultural and heritage conditions.

For the first time in the committee's 32-year history, New Zealand has a representative on the selection panel, Ngati Tuwharetoa paramount chief Tumu te Heuheu. As a man from volcano country himself, he will appreciate the treasure that is Auckland's rich, volcano-based past.

To Auckland's first visitors, both Maori and Pakeha, the volcanoes were a thing of wonder. In 1858, Austrian geologist and explorer Ferdinand von Hochstetter noted that "the isthmus of Auckland is one of the most remarkable volcanic districts of the Earth".

He could have been penning the application to Unesco. "The remarkable extinct volcanoes are unique in their kind, both with respect to their number and the peculiar shape of their cones and craters and streams of lava. In a circumference of only 10 miles [29km] from Auckland, I had to note down no less than 53 extinct points of eruption."

As to cultural import, he observed the extensive Maori terracing and recorded that they once played "the part of mountain forts like the castles of the Middle Ages ... As in Europe the ruins upon rock and mountain heights are the gloomy mementoes of club-law, where might alone made right ... "

World heritage listing will provide better protection next time someone tries to drive a road or railway through one of the cones.

It will also be a great tourist draw. You can see the punters browsing the internet. City of Sails, ho-hum. World Heritage City of Volcanoes - "Wow. Let's don the hard-hats and go."

First, though, Auckland has to get on DoC's priority list. Details for submissions at the Department of Conservation website (see link below). We have until March 31.