Paul Woodward - Wai Care, sampling Opanuku Stream in
Henderson Valley. Photo: Chrissy Henley
Chris Ferkins from WCC discusses the
planting
plan for Glenesk Reserve,
Piha.
Photo: Bobbie Carroll
The Ranges Neighbourhood Restoration Initiative is a
community based sustainability project that has been
developed to support multiple environmental and social
objectives, starting with
weed eradication. Following the
passing of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act in April
2008, the initiative aims to achieve key objectives of the
Act, in particular "to protect, restore and enhance the area
and its heritage features". The initiative also intends to
explore ways of delivering existing
Green Network support
more effectively.
The initiative aims to engage and work with whole
neighbourhoods to develop and implement a vision of improved
ecological health for their area. Importantly neighbourhoods
set their own goals and Council simply provides practical
assistance to help them achieve these. Initially
neighbourhoods may concentrate on weed eradication and
restoration on private properties; backyards and businesses,
and public land; reserves, roadsides and parks. But over
time can expand to include wider sustainability issues. The
initiative is based on a community development model where
local people take leadership of the activities and
facilitate the engagement with the rest of their community.
The initiative was piloted in two neighbourhoods,
Henderson Valley and
Piha.
Waitakere City Council provided support for getting the
initiative underway in these areas and funding for
appropriate activities on public and private land. Residents
of Beach Valley Road, Piha, one of the streets involved in
the initiative, have been actively weeding and replanting
their street frontages and private properties. View their
progress at
www.pihabeach.co.nz.
"At a meeting of Glenesk residents, Coastcare and WCC
representatives in November last year, it was agreed that
the wetland area on the corner of Seaview and Glenesk Roads
would be targeted in 2008 as an inaugural community
regeneration project. Our proposed project has benefited
enormously from the lucky coincidence that WCC chose the
established Piha Coastcare network to facilitate a pilot
community weed eradication/native regeneration programme"
(Yvonne Cleverley, one of the neighbourhood co-ordinators
for the Piha initiative speaking to the Piha R&R).
The initiative has recently been launched in two
additional areas; Titirangi and Oratia.
Contact Information
If you are interested in learning more about the initiative
or would like to start a project in your neighbourhood
please:
