A major report measuring the state of the environment of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area has been approved by Auckland Council.
The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Five-Year Monitoring Report 2023, shows that measures to protect and enhance the area continue to be effective, but it is unknown if the positivity will continue after this year’s extreme weather events in a changing climate.
The report shows that between 2017 and 2022 movement of the kauri dieback pathogen has been localised to the fringes of the Heritage Area; monitored ecosystems have demonstrated consistent growth with regeneration; the track network is gradually opening up and providing recreational opportunities for people.
Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee have welcomed the report as a reminder for work to keep protecting the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area.
Richard Hills, Chair of the Planning, Environment & Parks Committee, says the heritage area is a taonga for all Aucklanders to treasure.
“This monitoring report is a valuable tool that helps us keep track of the ongoing situation within the Heritage Area. It also shows, when time and money are invested in our environment, it thrives, this investment must continue to protect the Waitākere Ranges.
Our partnership with mana whenua is crucial for the ongoing protection and restoration of this important part of Tāmaki Makaurau. Working alongside Government agencies, volunteers, community organisation and passionate locals is also key.
“It’s also pleasing to know our connection to the whenua (land) is enduring and perpetual. Our focus is on ensuring the community can reap the benefits from the sustainable management of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area.”
The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair, Greg Presland, is calling for more funding to keep improving the heritage area for future generations.
“It is vital that this improvement continues, and this is a subject that needs to be considered when Council formulates the next ten-year budget.
“The board, along with many locals, are concerned that the heritage area is not adequately resourced and that the need for further resourcing is very visible in key areas such as the environment, and infrastructure. Current and future decisions about funding need to consider the heritage area’s immediate and long-term needs.
“I must acknowledge that while budgets spent in the heritage area are never as comprehensive as any of us might want them to be, Council does operate in a constrained funding environment, and this has implications here as well as elsewhere. But the heritage area is a taonga, it is special, and it deserves and needs our continued support.”
The heritage area spans approximately 27,700ha of public and private land located between metropolitan Tāmaki Makaurau and the coast of the Tasman Sea to the west, the Manukau Harbour coastline to the south and the Waitākere Valley to the north.
Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāti Whātua are mana whenua for the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area and have been engaged with during the development of this report.
About the report:
The monitoring period of the report is from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022. The following Report will be published on our Council website when it’s finalised.
This is also the third monitoring report for the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. Earlier reports were published in 2013 and 2018 and can be found here.
Stay up to date
Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from your area? Sign up for Waitākere Ranges Local Board's E-News and get the latest direct to your inbox each month.
