THE WAITAKERES
NURTURING PARADISE
“The
extraordinary
diverse
landscapes
of the ranges
have to
become
metropolitan
Auckland's
defining
feature.”
A NEW ERA FOR MANAGING THE WAITAKERE RANGES IS OCCURRING AS THE WORLD
ENTERS POTENTIALLY THE STORMIEST PERIOD IN HUMAN HISTORY, SAYS MACROECOLOGIST DR MORGAN WILLIAMS, THE FORMER PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONER
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
He’s been investigating
“What’s Next?” since the
introduction of the
Waitakere Ranges Heritage
Area Act and preparing a
report into ways to bring the
Act to life. He says that its
impossible to consider the
future of the Waitakere
Ranges without recognising
the context of the major
economic, social and
environmental challenges
that face the world.
“ This piece of legislation,
this piece of Gondwanan
forest, this piece of a great
forest of Auckland is sailing
like all of us into the
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the importance of natural
capital flows and the
fundamental contributors to
our way of life.’
“ We are going through a
tipping point in our
World Economists Look
relationship with the planet
Towards Nature.
and the financial crisis is not
Dr Williams says that as a
the end-game, it is a precursor
‘macro-ecologist’ he has
always taken a great interest in of what is really coming.”
He says the planet has a
the thinking of macroeconomists. This year, reading severe problem with demand;
energy, food, oil, water,
papers from the World
Economic Forum, he found for population. Climate issues are
the biggest indicator of this
the first time that global
and will quite rapidly become
economists were not focusing
on the rules of financial flows a big challenge in the next few
decades.
but were looking at the
‘opportunities to hardwire into
stormiest period of human
history. You can’t actually think
forward without thinking in
that context.”
Learning from London’s Green Belt
There’s a contrast between the experience of
the new legislation to protect the Waitakere
Ranges on the edge of Auckland and the
introduction of laws to create a ‘green belt’
around London. Both initiatives occurred in
times of change and turmoil. In London, the
‘green belt’ legislation was written and
gazetted in 1943 during the Second World
War as the city was being razed, but it is
something that is still in place today.
Dr Williams says the critical thing to learn
from the experience in London is how the
measures to protect green areas have been
robust enough to stand the test of time.
“ It is interesting to see what has gone on
around the world in heritage areas on the edge
of cities like Toronto and London and the
extraordinary investment in how you turn
pieces of legislation and the flow on policies
into enduring action that doesn’t get unpicked
by the great swings of politics, be it local or
central.”
International experience shows that the
Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is on the
right track, but there is still more work to do.
Colne Valley,
in Hillingdon
Borough, part
of London’s
Green Belt,
also home to
Heathrow
Airport.
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The success of London’s green belt can be
attributed to national, rather than local
legislation to protect it and a long term
strategic vision, which is now in place for the
Waitakeres.
“There is a need for precise measures, clear
prescriptive and directive planning and
graduated zoning. The problems come at the
edges and so there needs to be phasing
between urban, rural and forest areas.”
Lastly a ‘vehicle’, such as a not-for-profit
foundation or trust, to foster the development
is an important facet for people to participate
in the ongoing management of heritage areas.
He says such a trust can take a ‘long view’ of
stewardship and if set up by the community
can have the ability to “withstand the swings
and roundabouts of large changes in
government will”.
And he says a foundation or trust is most
effective as it is not a piece of legislation, but a
structure set up and contributed to by the
community.
“The Waitakeres are the ‘soul food’ of Auckland”
After legislation, the next most
important thing is enhancing
people’s access to the Waitakeres.
“The thing that will protect,
enhance and cherish the Ranges
will be the involvement of more and
more Aucklanders, and then no
governance model, local or central
will be able to unpick it, if you have
a million souls attached to it,” says
Dr Williams.
He says the other aspect about
access is that the core future use
will be recreation. It is part of the
‘soul food’ of Auckland and
internationally there are now trends
from material consumption to
‘experiential consumption.’
An indication in the United States
of the move away from consuming
materials is a significant drop in the
creation of waste that is down by
about 40 percent in some areas and
is seeing waste companies laying-off
staff.
“The transition to material
consumption is one of the
transitions we have to go through
as a society. Linking Auckland to
this recreation space in ways that
don’t wear it out are going to be
important, and so managing that
recreation, that experiential soul
food demand, is key to evolving
this.”
Tensions around
Living Spaces
Another key consideration for the
future of the Ranges will be how to
manage the living spaces within the
area and the tensions around their
development.
Dr Williams says there is a trend
towards more lifestyle living on
private land. For instance, 50
percent of Piha’s population is now
permanent, and it has become a
seaside village. Heritage areas in
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green belts around the world
include villages that are tightly
protected, a measure that is still
evolving in New Zealand and will
need to happen on both sides of the
Ranges.
“Internationally, there is a tension
between the developed living areas
and open spaces, and that is part of
the evolution.”
Dr Williams says marketing
‘sustainable living’ and a sense of
the village is also an opportunity for
branding the Waitakeres as
Auckland’s soul food.
“We are going to have to get a lot smarter about
eco-system services and monitoring. In the not too
distant future we will be accounting for the carbon
sink in this forest which is enormous…our well
being this century WILL be linked to forest
futures.”
What about the Forest?
While researching his report, Dr Williams says he
found it fascinating that no one was considering the
forest itself as an asset from an economic perspective
other than as a place to visit.
He says people seemed to overlook the opportunity
that planting more forest on the 9000 hectares of
private land offers including its ability to be a
significant ‘carbon sink’ for the Auckland region, as
forests can offset other causes of carbon in the
atmosphere.
If the forest is extended onto private land, there are
also opportunities to consider the harvesting of some
tree species as is done in Europe.
Slow Food and Micro
Enterprises
A challenge and an opportunity in the future will be on
the ‘peri urban’ edge of urban Auckland and the
Waitakeres where food production and other businesses
can develop.
“There is a trend right around the western world for
these areas to develop, in a similar way to the
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Matakana region with vineyards and other specialist
food production and markets.”
He says these areas have tended not to develop in
designated zones such as the Waitakere Ranges
Heritage Area, and there are challenges with soil
profiles in the Waitakeres and the small size of
properties. He says there are also impacts need to be
managed, but should not dissuade people from
considering ‘micro enterprises.’