Waitakere: Spat over plans to cash in on heritage

Montana Heritage Trail, Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Photo / Jim Eagles.

A move to open a heritage area to money-making ventures has sparked a row among candidates hoping to represent Waitakere Ward on the Auckland Council.

Candidate Sandra Coney said yesterday she opposed "district plan change 36", which the Waitakere City Council is to announce before it dissolves on October 31.

"It's an attempt to brand the Waitakere Ranges a tourism theme park ," said Ms Coney, a Piha historian and the city's representative on Auckland Regional Council.

"The vision is more suitable to a Matakana, or some twee destination, selling lavender oil or glass blowing galleries.

"But the ranges are the wild rugged type where people come to from the urban area to tramp and be tossed around in the surf."

Together, the city and regional councils battled to get Parliament to establish the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Protection Area in April 2008.

However, its last big job is to square away landowners' complaints that planning rules and consent costs discourage business activity.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, also standing for the ward, said a balance could be found that protected the ranges but allowed them to be lived in.

"I support good environmentally sound tourism - for example, guided walks.

"Present rules mean someone setting up a bed and breakfast would need a traffic report costing $20,000, because it is in the ranges."

Mrs Hulse said she was not on the committee which heard opposing public views on the change but would support its "democratic decision".

Candidate Vanessa Neeson said her chairmanship of the council's planning and regulatory committee prevented her from stating her view.

But candidate Mark Brickell said: "I support reasonable, common sense development in the foothills, like the Piha Cafe, which caused all that kerfuffle and was opposed by the same people as this plan change.

"I like trees and I like people as well. I'm not trying to drive them out of the Waitakeres."

Candidate Paul Walbran, a regional councillor, said the plan change did not fit with the Heritage Area Act.

The change should have been delayed before local area plans were formed for all the settlements.

WESTERN FRONTIER

* Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area: 27,720ha.

* Includes 10,000ha of private land as well as park land.

* Covers Titirangi, Oratia foothills and seaside villages Piha, Karekare and Huia.

* Home for 22,000 people, orchards, vineyards, lifestyle blocks, Oratia Farmers Market, cafes, reception venues, B&Bs, farm park.