Submissions on three Draft Reserve Management Plans – for Eskdale and Frimley Parks and the plan covering Tainui, Tanner, Tauroa and Hikanui Reserves (Havelock Hills) – close on Friday 2 September.
Hastings District Council released the Plans for public consultation at the beginning of July with further feedback to be considered at a public hearing before the plans are finalised.
Each Plan identifies the vision, objectives, policies, as well as the development and enhancement priorities for the Reserves over the next 10 years.
Hastings District Council assets manager Craig Thew says despite each of the three plans having had its own separate community engagement process over the past 12 months, there were some very obvious synergies.
“There is a very strong appetite within our community for increased biodiversity, particularly the restoration of indigenous planting, and a strong interest in knowing the history of our Reserves, both pre- and post-European settlement.”
Both the Havelock Hills and Eskdale plans propose major indigenous plantings.
Eskdale
In Eskdale Park, it is proposed to plant an indigenous forest on an area of the park currently leased for grazing.
The original park ecosystems and surrounding area were once kahikatea, tōtara and mataī-dominant alluvial forests; of which now less than 10% of indigenous vegetation remains.
The Management Plan suggest there is an opportunity for Eskdale Park to be part of a regional collaboration to halt biodiversity decline, and contribute to the restoration of a forest in the landscape.
The vision is to reinstate flora and fauna to the Park that holistically supports improvement of water quality, establishes bird corridors, provides plants for customary harvest and use, and has an education focus. The forest will be accessible to the public via a network of pathways.
The Management Plan also includes a new playground to replace the aging play pieces, a new accessible toilet facility, an accessible perimeter track to make the park more welcoming for people using wheelchairs and pushchairs, and planting and seating that would help keep dogs and vehicles out of the play area and off the existing cricket oval.
In response to community concern regarding a desire by the Hawke’s Bay Mountain Bike Club to access the PanPac Forest via the park, the plan lays out how such an application would be managed and where it might fit in, should one be received by Council.
Havelock Hills
Revegetation of the Havelock Hill reserves with indigenous species is proposed as an ongoing project across the 10-year timeframe of the Draft Management Plan, guided by an ecological restoration plan and building on the work undertaken by volunteers in recent years.
While restoration to create a fully-functioning indigenous forest system might require intergenerational efforts, it is proposed that the plan provides the framework for an enduring ecological stepping stone.
Within Havelock North’s Tainui Reserve, a major focus is on the protection of the remnants of the ancient Hikanui Pā site,dated pre-1769.
Hikanui Pā is registered with the Historic Places Trust and is situated on a peninsula in the middle of Tainui Reserve with steep bluffs on two sides, with access only from Hikanui Drive side for defence purposes. From the number of pits and the size of the site, it is estimated that 2-300 people may have been resident in the Tainui area.
The Pa’s history is unclear however, because unlike similar Pā sites in Heretaunga and elsewhere, this piece of land was not registered with the Māori Land Court in the 1870s.
“The Pā site is a small but incredibly important part of Tainui Reserve. Under the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act, we must protect the heritage site and all work undertaken on and around the site will be overseen by Heritage NZ,” says Thew.
“It was really pleasing to see through the broader community feedback just how much interest there is in knowing about this pā site and its history. We have been working very closely with mana whenua on this, and they will lead this element of the plan.”
It will probably include removing existing exotic trees which are threatening the site, and the construction of board walks to protect sensitive areas from foot traffic.
In addition the Plan suggests including cultural markers, signboards, recognition of taonga species, track names and viewshafts from Hikanui Pā to points of cultural importance. Track changes are proposed around Hikanui Pā to create a“destination” with a boardwalk constructed over the pā interior, reducing the impact on the site of casual visitors and recognising the pā as a taonga within the reserves.
Conflict between walkers and bikers in the Havelock Reserves is being addressed by the completion of the mountain bike track in Tainui Reserve while further separation of biking and walking tracks is proposed.
Other initiatives include play equipment, the planting of ‘edible’ trees (fruit and nut), and Keith Sands Grove entry parking changes.
Frimley Park
In Frimley Park, the Management Plan proposes improved roadside car parking, a sensory garden, making better connections between the different elements of the park, expanding the playground, incorporating adult fitness equipment into the park, and constructing a new toilet facility.
The sensory garden is designed to activate the five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch and will be achieved primarily through choice and placement of plants. For example the garden would be arranged across a variety of raised and low garden beds to ensure people of all ages and abilities could access the gardens, with low garden beds for young children and medium height raised gardens for visitors using a wheelchair.
Other features within the garden design could include a water feature (sight, touch and sound) and an interactive musical feature such as chimes (sound). Exploratory elements such as wooden stepping stones through gardens are also planned while aromatic plants, such as fragrant lavender or stock would activate smell, and rustling grasses or reeds sound.
“There is much more in the plans, and I do recommend people read the plans or the summary documents,” says Thew. “We do realise that everyone uses our parks for different reasons and all have different opinions on how they should be managed and what activities are, in their opinion, appropriate or not.”
Copies of the draft plans can be viewed at libraries in Hastings, at the Hastings District Council customer services centre in Lyndon Rd, Hastings, or on-line at: www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz. Additionally, the Eskdale Park draft plan can be viewed at the public libraries in Napier and Taradale, and at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council customer service centre.
Submissions close on Friday, September 2. Submission forms are available from the customer services centre or libraries. Submissions can be made on hard copy forms (free post address on the form), on line at www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz; or by emailing parks@hdc.govt.nz.
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