Waitākere Ranges Local Board has approved $174,556 in funding for a programme of works to help protect the Heritage Area.
A series of projects have had funding approved as part of the programme, which go towards protecting and enhancing the Heritage Area.
Board chair, Saffron Toms, says that the funding helps to protect the special place.
“Anyone who has any association with the Waitākere Ranges knows how special it is. Its significance is enshrined in legislation that requires us to be guardians of this beautiful area.
“We take this responsibility very seriously and our heritage area budget is one of the mechanisms we utilise to further the objectives of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act.
“The projects and programmes are tailored to be as effective as possible to achieve the aspirations of the Act and compliment a suite of other projects we fund.
“Our Heritage Area work programme helps to protect and enhance the biodiversity of this precious place and support the people who call Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa home.”
The projects are as follows:
Waitākere Ranges Bufferzone Project
A multi-year project that seeks to assist landowners that live adjacent to the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park to manage weeds on their properties and avoid the establishment of weeds within the parkland.
Cost: $50,000
Long-tailed bat (pekapeka) community education project
This budget will support Community Waitākere to run an education and awareness programme into long-tailed bat roost use in the Waitākere Ranges. Delivery of this project includes open community events, targeted community events, and educational resource promotion.
Cost: $12,000
Community weed bins Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area
A multi-year project that provides weed bins to communities to assist them to dispose of weeds correctly and conveniently. The weed bins help to reduce the illegal dumping of weeds and encourages landowners to control pest plants on their property.
Cost: $96,056
Visitor impact assessment (Te Henga and Piha local reserves)
In recent years increasing concerns have been raised with the Board on the management of visitors at these destinations. Addressing visitor management issues and monitoring visitor impacts was also one of the key actions in the Local Area Plan: Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and the Waitākere Valley (October 2015). This will be the third year that traffic counts will occur, which assists in establishing the trends in vehicle numbers visiting this part of the Waitākere Ranges
Cost: $3,000
Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Welcome pack
A welcome pack for new residents to the Waitākere Ranges to support families that are new to living in bush areas.
Cost: $13,500
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