ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING, Arataki Visitors Centre,
Annual
Report of the Executive Committee
I am pleased to present the 30th Annual Report of the Executive Committee of The Waitakere Ranges Protection Society.
The past year
has been one of celebration as the Society turned thirty, starting with a
wonderful birthday party at the Waitakere Hall on the 27th July. And
the celebrations didn’t stop there. We had the Ranges of Inspiration art
exhibition and auction at the Corban Estate Arts Centre which raised over $90,000. Thanks go to the artists who
contributed their inspirational art works. The artists received their reserve
prices which amounted to about $60,000 with the balance of
$30,000 going to the Society’s land acquisition fund, so as a fund raiser and
as an art exhibition it was very successful. With a grant from Project Crimson
to purchase eco-sourced Pohutukawa trees, we had a series of tree planting days
last winter where we worked with local communities at Karekare, Piha and Te
Henga. We gave certificates of honour to fifteen people who we considered had
made outstanding contributions to conservation in the ranges. And to top the
celebrations off, the land we purchased with your donations at 71 Turanga Rd is
now fully paid up, a QE II covenant has been registered against the title, and
we are about to gift it to the people of Auckland for inclusion in the
Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. This is our 30th birthday present to
the people of
There are still a number of outstanding District Plan appeals to which the Society is a party, and these are being resolved at present through mediation and when necessary and as a last resort, litigation. The most important of these appeals relate to the structure plan provisions in the eastern foothills of the ranges. We are opposed to structure plans in principle, as they are ultimately just another way of providing for subdivision. And without prohibited activity status on all subdivision above what is allowed for in the plan, non-complying applications will keep being made.
The granting of
commercial concessions for canyoning in the ranges has been of great concern
this year. Canyoning is an extreme form of adventure tourism where people pay
to be guided off track and slide and abseil down streambeds, waterfalls and
gorges. There are currently two licensed operators in the Park, at
We are hoping that the renewed effort from the ARC and WCC to look at visitor and recreation impacts in the ranges will lead to a strong visitor management plan and consequently better tools for dealing with these ever increasing recreational pressures.
The Society
keeps a watching brief on developments at the Te Henga quarry, the water
quality issues at
At great expense
the spray program seems to have been successful in eradicating the Painted
Apple Moth. But this easily could happen
again; biosecurity at ports of entry into
The Society was
a sponsor of the EDS Protected Landscapes Conference held in July. Speakers
from NZ and
Throughout the year we have worked hard to progress the concept of a Heritage Area encompassing the whole of the ranges. We consider that permanent protection means that public and private property rights provided for now by the District Plan will be respected, while ensuring that the community can have certainty into the future that those provisions will not continue to change, as they have to date. This is the most important work of the Society at present, for if we cannot hold the line on non-complying subdivision and development, areas such as the eastern foothills and the coastal villages will very rapidly lose their present character, with far reaching consequences for the landscape and ecology of the ranges. The WCC and the ARC are currently consulting on the protection project and the forum to be held on 18 April is an important meeting which I hope many of you will attend.
The
Our new improved newsletter has added to our advocacy very well, and thanks go to our editor Kath Dewar who makes each newsletter attractive and informative. The website continues to be developed by webmaster Mike Nixon and his team who are undertaking a complete overhaul of the site this year. Internet presence is an essential tool these days for the Society as we can ensure that it has the most up to date information about our work, and I recommend you all start to use it on a regular basis. As the amount of information on the site increases it becomes a real resource for students and visitors who want to know more about the Ranges and the Society.
Thanks go to the many experts who prepared submissions and evidence for us. I especially need to mention two people who constantly find time to give the Society their very best profession advice. To Douglas Allan and Gary Taylor the Society owes a great debt for their extremely generous pro bono contributions to our cause. Thanks also to Jan Caunter and Garry Law for preparing submissions and evidence for us during the year.
There are many people who have worked so hard for so long to achieve the Society’s vision. Many of you are here tonight, and you will know others who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point. I acknowledge you all by saying that without each individual’s contribution we would not be achieving the way we do.
I would mention here the sad passing away of Owen Hughes who was a strong supporter of the Society’s work and was on the committee for many years. Owen made the Society a very generous bequest towards our work, for which we are most grateful, and Owen will be remembered as a person who was passionate about the protection of the ranges.
The successful day-to-day activities of the Society could not progress without a dedicated executive committee. I would like to ask the outgoing committee to stand up. These people are your elected committee who have given many volunteer hours over the past year. It has been a pleasure working with you all and I would like the meeting to join with me in showing our appreciation for their efforts on our behalf. Most of these people are standing again for the committee, but I would like to especially thank Jane Alexander, Simon Chapman and Sue Turner who will be standing down this. These three have given a huge effort to the Society’s work over the past five years and we will miss their intelligence, humour and expertise.
Special thanks to Sandra Jones who as treasurer this year has really brought a new level of professionalism to the Society with her meticulous care of our finances and in a year when there has been more money than ever in the accounts due to the grants for the book, such care is much needed and appreciated. I also want to thank Kath Dewar, our vice president, who has given her time and expertise on many issues and has given me great support throughout the year, especially in the absence of a secretary. The honorary audit of the Society’s books this year by Martin Bailey of McGregor Bailey Ltd is gratefully acknowledged.
It has been an
exciting and very busy year, but we have achieved some great progress and are
in a very strong position as we go into what will be another very important year.
The 30th birthday celebrations are over, and more than ever we need
your support and your mandate for the coming year as we get closer to achieving
our vision of permanent protection for the whole of the
John Edgar
President