A plan that guides the management of all local parks in Rodney for the next decade has been adopted by the Rodney Local Board.
Chair Brent Bailey says the board has a decision-making role over 338 parks which are included in the Rodney Local Parks Management Plan.
The local parks management plan provides the policy framework to manage use, protect and develop parks in the local board area.
“The management plan is the culmination of years of extensive work by council staff, feedback from hundreds of submitters and that local knowledge has contributed to the plan."
“The plan is an important tool to protect the values of parks and allow appropriate activities."
“It provides a framework for consistent and transparent decision-making in parks that guides the board, council group, other organisations and the wider community.”
The plan includes park land for which the board has delegated decision-making under both the Reserves Act and Local Government Act but excludes Parakai’s Kaipātiki Reserve which has a reserve management plan.
Open space is excluded where it is not owned or managed by Auckland Council, or where the local board does not have a decision-making role, such as at regional parks, land managed by the Department of Conservation and drainage reserves.
Public submissions were open for two months and 326 submissions were received with 23 submitters speaking at the hearings held last November.
Bailey thanks everyone who made suggestions and provided comments to help improve the draft plan.
Board members resolved that the reserves at Ngāroto Lakes, which border Te Ārai Regional Park, will continue to be managed as local parks so that community access and activities don’t change.
The plan is made up of two volumes with a planning framework and general policies that relate to all Rodney’s parks contained in volume one. Volume two has information about the management of each park, the types of activities that can take place and any leasing or licensing activities. This volume is grouped into the board’s subdivisions namely Dairy Flat, Kumeū, Warkworth and Wellsford.
Bailey says the plan is an important document that will guide decisions on local parks for a long time.
“We will refer to it many times such as when we approve events or grant leases to groups using parks.”
The Rodney Local Parks Management Plan will soon be published on the council website.
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