Transformation of the former Greenmount Landfill into a park is a step closer with Howick Local Board agreeing to progress the first stage of a concept plan.
The decision will see the current $3.1 million budget (from the Greenmount Reserve Fund) used for initial works, including:
- bulk earthworks
- sediment control, stormwater and swales improvements
- road access
- car parking
- some footpaths and gravel tracks to the summit
- tree planting
- furniture and signage.
When this work will start depends on when the site is safe for public use, but the first phase is expected start next year.
Finding the right design
Earlier this year the board invited community input on the concept plan, which outlined a vision of the park – including walking and cycle tracks, recreation and play areas, grass and meadows, and landscaping and signage that celebrated the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
What eventually ends up in the park will need to be considered with the site's former use as landfill in mind, as some things will not be suitable.
The project team have also been working closely with mana whenua to incorporate Te Aranga Māori design principles in to the park.
To achieve the full vision for the park would mean spending an additional $7 million to $10 million, and would take around 15 years to complete.
About Greenmount Landfill
The Greenmount Landfill is a 54ha site on the corner of Harris and Smales Roads in East Tāmaki.
In pre-European times it was a former volcanic cone which had great significance to Māori.
Around 1870 the site was leased as a quarry, which operated for a number of years. In 1932 Sarah Jane Lushington established a will and agreed to gift the land to council for future use as a public park. This agreement was finalised in accordance with the will in 2004.
Around 1960, this area started to be used as a site for landfill, and these operations continued up until 2005. The landfill was closed in 2015, and the following year fill operations started to restore the site to its original landform.
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