Town Belt Management Plan

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Town Belt Management Plan

Foreword

Wellington City's Town Belt is a significant and unique feature benefiting the

entire city. It provides a scenic back drop to the inner city, and is a valuable

resource offering tremendous recreational opportunities to a vast number of

residents and visitors alike.

As a community we are extremely fortunate that our city founders had the

foresight to set aside the slopes that surrounded the new settlement. One and a

half centuries later Wellingtonians can still appreciate and enjoy the open space

asset that remains today, right on their doorstep.

Since being set aside in 1841, management of the Town Belt has occurred pretty

much on an ad hoc basis both under the Crown's and Council's jurisdiction. As the

city expanded, numerous demands for land occurred, and sadly it was Town Belt

land that was often exploited.

Until now a comprehensive plan outlining future management policies for the

Town Belt has not been prepared. It is with considerable pride that Council has

prepared such a Plan.

To be effective the Town Belt Management Plan must have the commitment not

only of the City Council, but also of all those in Wellington who use and enjoy the

Town Belt. Involving the community in the development of the Plan from the

earliest stage has been a priority, and the thrust of the policies largely reflect the

concerns and views expressed in the submissions received when Council notified

its intention to prepare the Plan in 1991 and more recently with the submissions

received on the draft plan.

John Gilberthorpe

Chair

Town Belt Management Plan Sub-

Committee

and Recreation Committee

Rosemary Barrington

General Manager

Culture & Recreation Division

Acknowledgments

The preparation of the Town Belt Management Plan has involved many people. We would

like to thank the following people:

Town Belt Management Plan Sub-Committee

Cr John Gilberthorpe (Chair)

Cr Andy Foster

Cr Sarah Lysaght

Cr Liz Thomas

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Culture and Recreation Division

Rosemary Barrington (General Manager)

Lucy Atkinson

Sophie Bell

Esther Bukholdt

Mike Oates

Charles Roberts

David Rowe

Roger Still

Sue Smith

Environmental Division

Brett McKay

Stephen Lamb

Maori Unit

Liz Monroe

Bonita Sayers

Corporate Services

Neil Price - WCC Photographer

Fiona Dunlop (Committee Clerk)

Legal Advisers

Phillips Fox

Sharon Skinner

Mel Easton

Chris Mitchell

Sarah Ongley

Principal Consultants

Boffa Miskell

Boyden Evans

Shona McCahon

Marc Baily

Geoff Turnbull

Lee Cannons

Sub Consultants

Dr Maggy Wassilieff

John Wendelken

Walter Cook

Critchlow Associates Limited:

Steve Critchlow

Alan Barr

Glenn Crafts

Ellen Ellis

Sarah Dalton

Department of Survey and Land Information:

Peter Wiley

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Introduction

Wellington has a very beautiful natural setting by world standards. The inner city faces

north and east to the natural sweep of Lambton Harbour, and steep hills enclose it from

behind.

The inner suburbs cling to these hills of which large areas, including significant ridgetops,

are Town Belt.

Wellington is fortunate to still retain a large portion of the space set aside as Town Belt

under the instruction of the Secretary of the New Zealand Company, John Ward, in 1839.

Originally held by Central Government after gazettal in 1841, this crescent of green

space on the hills cradling the central city and inner suburbs has been administered and

controlled by Wellington City Council since 1873.

A Town Belt, by various names, is an area of land set aside during the design of towns

and cities to provide a green and open space for the pleasure and health of the citizens.

This design approach had been advocated by utopian and radical social reformers in

Britain since the early nineteenth century as a means of providing relief for ordinary

citizens (not just the aristocracy) from the overcrowding of the cities. However, they

were not part of British cities in 1840. The town belts established around the settlements

planned on the Wakefield model in Australia and New Zealand were unique for their time

anywhere in the world. Thus, to the British colonists in the new town of Wellington the

Town Belt was a novelty, with no traditional identity or legal framework. Therefore, the

purpose of the Town Belt may have been misunderstood by some. Then, as now, the

Town Belt was sometimes seen as "waste land" waiting to be exploited.

Visually dominant in the Wellington City scene, the Town Belt is very important to the

physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing of the citizens of Wellington, and

an essential component of their feelings about "their" City.

As the city has grown the pressures on the Town Belt land for development have become

extreme. Last century land was lost to other, mainly Crown, uses; Wellington College,

the Governor General's Residence (originally a lunatic asylum), Victoria University, a

signal station, Wellington Hospital, the Meteorological Office, and roads to link the city

with the, then,

country across the Town Belt. Lesser reductions occurred earlier this century. All

together, over a third of the original Town Belt land is now in other uses and perhaps lost

forever, despite the strength and clarity of the founding legislation (see figure 1). It is

only through the continued vigilance of Wellington's community and of Wellington City

Council as Trustee, that the Town Belt will be managed to protect its many, often unique,

qualities for the benefit of future generations.

Since the 1960s the Wellington City Council has made progress in developing an "Outer"

Town Belt to complement the original Town Belt. This area of land has the same principal

aim as the first Town Belt, in that it is designed to separate the city from the country

with a set of "green lungs" for the benefit of the citizens. Only part of the land intended

to form the Outer Town Belt is currently in Council ownership, but additional land will be

acquired or protected as it becomes available. This land is administered as Recreation

Reserve and does not yet have a management plan encompassing the whole area.

The Need For a Management Plan

The Wellington Town Belt was created in 1841 and vested in the Wellington City Council

by the Town Belt and Basin Reserve Deed of 1873 (see Appendix 1). This remains the

governing authority by which the Wellington City Council controls the Town Belt.

The Town Belt is also a "reserve" under the definition in the Reserves Act 1977, and

Wellington City Council manages the Town Belt as a "recreation" reserve under this

legislation as this most closely equates to the intentions of the original Deed.

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The Reserves Act describes the purpose of a recreation reserve as " providing areas for

the recreation and sporting activities and the physical welfare and enjoyment of the

public, and for the protection of the natural environment and beauty of the countryside,

with emphasis on the retention of open spaces and on outdoor recreational activities,

including recreational tracks in the countryside".

However, there is no legal requirement or intention to officially classify the Town Belt as

a recreation reserve, nor is there benefit to be gained from so doing.

The general approach is that the Reserves Act applies only where its provisions are

consistent with the 1873 Deed, but overall the Deed prevails.

The 1873 Deed can be seen as a simple self-contained code which provides for the use,

maintenance, protection and preservation of the reserve. To that extent, the Reserves

Act's requirement for a management plan and reserve classification is not required.

However, the 1873 Deed is now 120 years old and too general a document to provide

certain guidance for the complex management decisions that have to be made about the

Town Belt today. Also, Wellington City Council has determined that the concept of

providing a management plan (as described in the Reserves Act) for any reserve has

considerable value, whether it is required by statute or not, and the complex

management issues relating to the Town Belt certainly demands that this be done.

Council is also required to manage the effect of activities on the environment through a

District Plan prepared under the Resource Management Act. The District Plan describes

the environmental characteristics and qualities that the community wishes to see. The

Town Belt is a significant resource in the context of Wellington and the District Plan's

objectives, policies and rules reflect this. The District Plan's provisions are

complementary to the aim, objectives and policies of the original deed and the

management plan.

The existing 'Inner Town Belt Zone Management Plan', of 18 March 1981, is a brief

document which requires considerable expansion to provide a comprehensive, easily

implemented and understood guide for the future administration and management of the

Town Belt. Recent planning decisions have referred to the need for a management plan

to guide future development.

Management Plans

A management plan is a working document which sets out the objectives and policies of

management and how these should be achieved. It also records changes and additional

information as it becomes available.

A management plan provides the framework within which all future management of a

property will be carried out, and describes it in a way which will be readily understood by

all who might be affected. If the plan is not understood it may be set aside and ignored.

A management plan is not just a record of what is being done now. It should draw

together all the relevant descriptive information on the property, re-examine current

practices and provide a foundation on which all future management practices are based.

A management plan has several requirements:

1 It must be comprehensive. Omissions may give rise to ambiguity and

misinterpretation.

2 It must be practical and permit some flexibility within prescribed limits. Without

flexibility it will be self-defeating.

3 It must be clear, concise and easy to understand with a simple and effective

message.

4 It must provide for review so that changing circumstances can be taken into account.

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A comprehensive management plan for the Town Belt will ensure continuity of

management in a planned direction. It will also explain to interest groups and the general

public alike the reasons behind the decisions made by Council.

In terms of the Reserves Act 1977, reserve management plans should be kept under

continuous review. As a general guide a plan should be reviewed every ten years.

Management Plan Format

The development of this management plan has been in three phases. The first was the

research and preparation of eight background reports (listed below and available for

reference from all Council libraries and from the Recreation and Assets Department,

Wellington City Council) which provide the descriptive information. The second was the

preparation of the management plan which was released for public comment in May

1994. A special Town Belt Management Plan Subcommittee was formed to oversee this

process.

Following a four month period for public submissions hearings were held and the

comments received in both the written and oral submissions were considered by the

Subcommittee. Amendments to the plan were subsequently made and this final version

of the plan produced.

This Plan comprises two parts. Part One contains the general provisions applying to the

whole land area. Part Two contains policies specific to 9 of 11 management areas which

have been identified to make up the Town Belt. (See Figure 2). Policies are not included

for the Botanic Garden, which already has a current management plan and its own Act of

Parliament, nor for the Zoological Garden. The Zoological Garden, established in 1906, is

an accepted historic use within the Town Belt which, because of its specialised nature, is

managed separately according to its Business Plan. The zoo will, however, be managed in

a way that will be consistent with that of the Town Belt. These two independent existing

documents take precedence over the General Provisions in Part 1.

The decision to divide the Town Belt into the nine other management areas arises from a

recognition of the complexity of the topography, vegetation, uses and communities of

interest inherent in the Town Belt. It does not diminish the status of the Town Belt as a

single entity, but simply assists the grouping of issues relevant to specific areas. This

way, people with an interest in their own particular area of the Town Belt can obtain Part

One, General Provisions, and the relevant management area policies (available as

individual volumes), without being distracted by information relevant to another area.

Within each volume of the management plan, the policies are grouped under four

headings:

�

Administration;

�

Recreation;

�

Vegetation Management; and

�

Interpretation and Education.

Background Reports

Most of the eight background reports were started in 1991 to provide an information

base for the drafting of the management plan. The last of these reports was completed in

1994. A call for public submissions was made in 1991 when the Council notified its

intention to prepare a comprehensive Town Belt Management Plan. At that time the

Council produced a pamphlet, The Town Belt and its Future Management, which outlined

some background information and raised some key questions for the community to

consider.

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A total of 124 submissions were received from both individuals and community groups

giving an invaluable insight into public opinion about various issues that needed to be

addressed in the Management Plan review.

The public submissions were compiled in a matrix which separated out the various issues

raised and a brief commentary on these is contained in Background Report 8.

All of the eight background reports are available to the public; a set of each is lodged at

each library and copies are available for inspection at the Culture and Recreation

Division, Wellington City Council.

1 Ecology - prepared by Dr Margaret Wassilieff

2 Maori History and Interests - prepared by the Maori Unit, Wellington City Council.

3 European History - prepared by Walter Cook

4 Environmental Forestry - prepared by John Wendelken

5 Landscape - prepared by Boffa Miskell

6 Recreation - prepared by Culture and Recreation Division, Wellington City Council

7 Administration and Management - prepared by Boffa Miskell and Culture and

Recreation Division, Wellington City Council

8 Public Submissions - compiled by Boffa Miskell.

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Aims and Objectives

The Aims are the principal statements of purpose of the Management Plan and, as such,

all management decisions are to be measured according to these. The Objectives then

outline the ways in which the Council, as Trustee of the Town Belt on behalf of the people

of Wellington, intends to achieve the aims.

The policies of this volume and the nine volumes of Part Two of the Management Plan set

out the management steps to achieve the objectives and ultimately the aims of the Plan.

Aims

1 A Town Belt which is managed in accordance with the principal intention of the

original Deed of 1873, which is to keep the Town Belt land forever "as a public

recreation ground for the inhabitants of the City of Wellington".

2 A sustainably managed Town Belt in which the natural, landscape, cultural and

historic values are protected and enhanced.

By way of explanation the term 'recreation' is defined in its broadest sense, but

recognises the emphasis on outdoor recreation because of the original instruction from

the New Zealand Company Secretary to set aside land that "no buildings be ever erected

upon it." Recreation refers not just to the active and passive pastimes of organised team

sport, casual individual pursuits such as walking, running and picnicking, but also to the

emotional and spiritual benefits of having the green space of the Town Belt close and

visible to a large part of Wellington's community.

The term 'public' means the absence of private ownership and affirms the need to

preserve free access to the land, and to make this apparent in the treatment of the

boundaries so that people can easily understand and interpret their collective ownership.

Objectives

Public Recreation

1 To maintain and enhance the public recreation qualities of the Town Belt for the

people of Wellington.

2 To allow as wide a range of appropriate and sustainable recreational activities as

possible on the Town Belt, with an emphasis on outdoor, informal public recreation

(see Appendix 7, Definitions).

3 To ensure that there will be no additional land area developed for organised

recreation facilities (formal recreation) on the Town Belt but to encourage shared use

of these existing facilities.

4 To protect the public right of access for all to the Town Belt.

5 To promote the public recreational use of the Town Belt through the use of

interpretive signs, access ways and the dissemination of information on the

recreational opportunities available within the Town Belt.

Conservation and Land Management

6 To protect and enhance the landscape character, cultural and historic values and

physical resources of the Town Belt.

7 To manage the vegetation and conserve the water and soil resources of the Town

Belt to ensure the sustainable balance between the open land and the densely

vegetated areas, the ' wild' areas and the developed areas.

8 To maintain the Town Belt as an unbuilt visual backdrop and skyline to Wellington.

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9 To gradually increase the proportion of native vegetation, to actively encourage the

regeneration of the native plant communities to their climax state (see Appendix 7,

Definitions) and, where possible, to develop wildlife corridors to encourage greater

numbers and diversity of native wildlife.

10 To define the boundaries of the Town Belt on the ground.

11 To extend the Town Belt area by obtaining land that was originally part of the Town

Belt but since alienated, whenever opportunities arise, and by adding new areas

which will enhance the Town Belt's public recreational and 'green belt' qualities.

12 To only permit such development on the Town Belt as is required to achieve the

objectives above or the purposes of public utility and to specify the conditions under

which this might take place.

Administration

13 To integrate and balance conservation and recreation objectives.

14 To guide the decisions required to balance potentially conflicting uses on the Town

Belt.

15 To encourage the community's active involvement in establishing and implementing

the management plan to protect the reserve status and the intrinsic values of the

Town Belt.

16 To resolve the issues of encroachments with a view to regaining lost lands.

17 To protect the Town Belt from new encroachments.

Interpretation

18 To promote an awareness and appreciation of the unique status, landscape and

recreational value of the Town Belt, its ecological processes, its history and it's

unique identity and character.

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Background Information

Legal Description

The Town Belt currently comprises 424.4980 hectares, of which only 387.4862 hectares

is legally held upon trust and subject to the powers set out in Deed 40240 (67/266)

dated 20 March 1873 - the empowering document. A copy of Deed 40240 is attached as

Appendix 1.

Estimates from research of historic documents are that the original area reserved by the

Crown in 1841 was just under 625 hectares, and the area originally granted to the

Superintendent of Wellington Province in 1861 was almost 500 hectares. The Town Belt

area conveyed to the Wellington City Council in 1873 was approximately 432 hectares.

The legal description, area, and title references of each of the parcels of land that make

up the Town Belt are included in Background Report 7, and as Appendix 2 .

Of the 37.0118 hectares which is not subject to the 1873 Deed 40240, 25.4842 hectares

is subject to the Wellington Botanic Garden Act of 1891, 5.2230 hectares is subject to the

Wellington City Exhibition Act 1959, 3.7365 hectares is held by Council under Deed of

Conveyance 144970 (264/497), 1.8678 hectares is held by Council under the Wellington

Corporation and Harbour Board Streets Act 1892, and 0.1556 hectares is vested in trust

for road pursuant to section 106 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public

Bodies Empowering Act 1922. The remaining 0.5447 hectares is held by Council in

freehold.

While this 37.0118 hectares is not legally held by Council subject to the 1873 Town Belt

Deed, the general intent and purposes of this Deed are nevertheless generally applied in

the management and administration of these lands as part of the Town Belt.

Throughout the city there are over 200 locations where adjoining private properties have

extended onto the Town Belt. Some of these encroachments are fenced in with the

adjoining lands and, therefore, appear to form part of that private property, thus

excluding the public. Other areas, while not fenced off, are perceived as privately held

due to their occupation or incorporation into private land. There are six driveways across

the Town Belt which provide vehicle access to approximately 25 properties.

These encroachments collectively total an estimated 2.3 hectares of the Town Belt and

approximately 3,749 metres in length in respect of driveways and paths.

In preparing the Management Plan anomalies have been "discovered" in respect of the

legal status of parts of the Town Belt

These are:

�

Some land that is regarded and managed as part of the Town Belt is not legally held

subject to the 1873 Town Belt Deed.

�

Land that had previously been excluded from the Town Belt and/or developed in

some other way (Ruahine Street, Brooklyn Road) has not yet been formally excluded

from the Town Belt on the Certificates of Title.

�

Small severance areas, left after other land was alienated for say, road, still remain

with the Town Belt (eg. Brooklyn Road). This land no longer appears to be part of the

Town Belt and should also have been taken at the time the development took place.

It is desirable that the legal status of the land that is not part of the Town Belt, but

managed as such, be rationalised. This will probably require the passing of special

legislation, and the adjustment of Certificates of Title.

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Legal Status (See Appendix 3)

The Wellington City Reserves Act 1871 stated, "The Superintendent of the said Province

of Wellington shall convey the whole of the (Town Belt) to the Mayor, Councillors and

Burgesses for the time being of the City of Wellington to hold the same to the said

Mayor, Councillors and Burgesses and their successors upon such trusts and for such

purposes of public utility to the City of Wellington and its inhabitants as shall in and by

the Deed or Deeds of conveyance thereof be expressed and declared".

Following this Act a Deed was sealed by the Superintendent of Wellington on 20 March

1873 conveying the Town Belt to the Mayor, Councillors and Citizens of Wellington. The

1873 Deed stated that the Town Belt was to be used "as a public Recreation ground for

the inhabitants of the City of Wellington" and "for such purposes of public utility to the

City of Wellington and the inhabitants thereof as shall be expressed and declared". The

Deed further provided that:

(a) The Council has no power to alienate or dispose of the lands.

(b) No thoroughfare be created across the land.

(c) The Council has power to lease all or any part of the land for a term not exceeding 42

years, the best rent to be payable during this term.

The Wellington (City) Town Belt Reserves Act 1908 clarified the general management and

leasing powers of the Council in respect of the Town Belt. This Act refers to the Public

Reserves and Domains Act 1908, which has been superseded by the Reserves Act 1977.

The Town Belt is a reserve within the meaning of the Reserves Act 1977. The provisions

of the Reserves Act apply subject to the provisions of the 1873 Town Belt Deed which

created the trusts upon which the Town Belt is held (section 5(2) of the Reserves Act

1977).

It should be noted that special legislation applies to parts of the Town Belt, including the

Botanic Garden and the Wesleyan Reserve.

The powers and duties of the Council in respect of the Town Belt are as follows:

General Management Powers

1 The 1873 Deed gives powers to make rules and regulations governing the Town Belt.

2 The 1908 Act gives powers to set apart and dedicate part of the land for any specific

purpose of public amusement or recreation, and the power to make bylaws regulating

the use of the Town Belt.

3 Powers given to an administering body under the Reserves Act, the Trustee Act 1952,

and the Charitable Trusts Act 1957.

4 The Council has a duty to adhere to the purpose of the trust which means the

paramount consideration is the use of the Town Belt as a public recreation ground

and for the purposes of public utility for the citizens of Wellington.

Leasing Powers

1 The 1873 Deed gives the power to lease land for 42 years at best rental. This means

to grant an exclusive right of possession to a person or organisation for a fixed

period.

2 The Wellington City Reserves Act 1871 provides that half the monies derived from

the lands should be devoted to the ornamentation and utilisation of the lands, and

the other half to the construction and maintenance of roads upon the Town Belt

connecting the streets of the City with the country roads.

3 The Wellington City Reserves Act 1872 provides that a portion of the monies be paid

annually to the Board of Governors of the Botanic Garden for the ornamentation and

utilisation of that garden.

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4 The leasing provisions of the Reserves Act 1977 apply.

Powers to Grant Easements

1 This is one of the general powers of a trustee managing trust property provided in

the Trustee Act 1956.

2 The Reserves Act 1977 provides for the granting of rights-of-way and other

easements over reserve land.

3 However, the power to grant easements must be exercised in accordance with the

1873 Deed which excludes "thoroughfares". Therefore a right-of-way will be a

thoroughfare if it intrudes unreasonably into the recreational nature of the reserve.

Powers to Grant Licences

1 This only exists by virtue of the general management powers of the Council as

trustees under the 1873 Deed.

Location and Landscape Character

Wellington sits at the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand on a narrow

tongue of land separating Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour. The Town Belt lies on the

first line of hills wrapping around the central city in a crescent shaped curve.

The natural landscape of Wellington is very distinctive with its rugged topography and

strong influence of the sea. The boisterous coastal climate has shaped the vegetation and

naturally selected tough salt-tolerant plant species. Human influence has also played a

large part in the distribution of species, but the climate has determined their success .

Although the topography has been the main determinant of the shape of the city, the

climate has also been an influence. Most development is concentrated on the lower

gentler slopes, with comparatively little building on the hills. This pattern of development

has emphasised the differences in the landform; the intermediate, less-developed ridges

have given identity to the separate suburban areas.

In such complex topography the skylines are very visible and, so, must be carefully

managed. Many of these are part of the Town Belt.

With its horse-shoe shaped configuration running on an axis north-north-east to south-

south-west, the hills of the Town Belt face both east and west. The east-facing slopes are

generally exposed to the wetter southerly winds while the west-facing slopes catch the

drying northwest winds.

The vegetation patterns reflect the climatic influences with a greater range of taller

species on the east-facing slopes and the tougher shrub species on the west-facing

slopes. Where plants such as pines have been planted, they are taller on the east-facing

slopes and more stunted on the west-facing slopes.

The southern portion of the Town Belt, at the bend of the horse-shoe, is much lower-

lying and less exposed to wind. The flatter topography here has meant that this land has

more open grassed areas for active sport and, subsequently, a very different landscape

character.

Wellington appears unusually "green" for an urban area. This is because of the large

scale and the visual dominance of the forests of the Town Belt on the high ground and

the presence of pockets of green "unmanaged" land which have been too steep for

development.

The pine plantations and gorse and scrub pockets lend a more informal character to the

vegetation than is typical of urban areas and in some locations is more typical of the

urban fringe or rural environment.

The coast, which is visible from many parts of the city, is the other very strong

contributor to Wellington's landscape character.

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Together the landform, sea and vegetation combine to create the landscape character of

Wellington.

Physical and Natural Environment

Wellington City experiences a moderately sunny, wet and windy climate. The rugged

topography and the proximity to Cook Strait mean that the city is subjected to frequent

strong winds. The number of sunshine hours varies with the complex topography of the

Town Belt. The prevailing drier winds are northwesterly and the wet wind is southerly.

This, combined with the exposure to the sun means that there is a strong contrast

between the microclimates facing generally north (warm and dry) and those facing south

(cool and moist).

The Town Belt lies on the series of hills encircling the city. These hills have a basement of

Triassic greywacke rock alternating with argillite in places. The landscape has been

subjected to intense faulting and folding. A series of inactive splinter faults run off the

Wellington Fault, which lies at the foot of Tinakori Hill. Erosion along the shatter zone of

these faults has had a significant influence on the Wellington landscape.

The soils at the southern end of the Town Belt are Porirua silt loams which have poor

physical properties but, apart from a lack of phosphorus, have a good nutrient content.

Prior to human settlement these soils would have carried coastal broadleaf forest. The

soils in the northern parts of the Town Belt are Paremata silt loams which are acidic, and

less fertile and shallower than the Porirua soils. Their poor structure and compacted

subsoil limit tree growth and they are subject to summer drought. At the time of

European settlement these soils would have carried semi-coastal podocarp/broadleaf

forest or secondary shrub communities. Many of the ridges and slopes have lost some or

all of their topsoil through wind and sheet erosion.

The vegetation in Wellington prior to settlement by Maori was mostly temperate

podocarp/broadleaf rainforest, consisting of rimu-northern rata/tawa-hinau on the ridges

and slopes through to a semi-coastal forest nearer the coast, where kohekohe was more

dominant, and swamp on the Te Aro flat which had no heavy forest. The forests then had

very much more dense understoreys than forests we know today. Descriptive records

indicate the vegetation on the Town Belt would also have followed this pattern. (See

Background Report 1 Ecology).

At the time of European settlement the forest on the eastern arm of the Town Belt had

largely disappeared through the fires used by Maori for land clearance.

Today probably 99.5% of the original forest cover has been lost. The plant associations

on the Town Belt are young (less than 150 years old) and simple in structure with a

limited diversity of native species. However, there are many naturalised plants and heavy

infestations of weeds. Despite the lack of native species, there are, in fact, around 600

plant species on the Town Belt. Only in the Botanic Garden do remnants of the

podocarp/broadleaf rainforests, which included kohekohe, hinau and titoki, remain.

From as early as the 1880s, but mostly between 1920 and 1940,a considerable area of

the Town Belt was planted with exotic conifer species and eucalypts. The desire to cover

the denuded slopes that formed the backdrop to the new city was the paramount motive

for this work. The Councillors and citizens saw the Town Belt as something to embellish

with trees for the purposes of recreation and the ornamentation of the city.

These tree stands were very rarely thinned or managed and today they have a

considerable understorey of native shrub species in some areas. In economic terms they

represent, for the most part, a substantial low-grade timber resource, but they also have

great landscape and recreation value. The trees are healthy but "mature" to "over

mature" in forestry terms (although not in biological terms) so it is imperative that

decisions be made now for their future management. The long term dynamics of radiata

pine and macrocarpa are unknown in Wellington, but it is unlikely that they will

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regenerate extensively on the Town Belt. However, they could be managed to help

perpetuate some conifer stands.

Areas not in native or exotic tree stands are either managed as grassed playing fields

and passive recreation areas or they are scrub covered. These areas of scrub, often

gorse and broom, have the potential to regenerate into native bush if left undisturbed

and kept weed free and safe from fires.

The lack of native species complexity in the vegetation, and its physical discontinuity,

follows through to a paucity of native fauna species. Only common bird species are

present (with the only numerous natives being fantail, grey warbler and silvereye), as

well as eight species of introduced mammal, five species of lizard and only common

insect species.

History

The history of the Town Belt, as a unique part of the establishment of the City of

Wellington, is summarised in the chronology (Appendix 4) and in Background Report 3.

Its existence today, for the most part as originally intended, is important to

Wellingtonians and a validation of its on-going relevance to Wellington. Council intends,

not only to continue the tradition of the Town Belt, but also to increase the public

awareness of its history and its current relevance.

The founders did record their intentions for the Town Belt, but these were brief

indications which have proved open to interpretation. The Town Belt concept was new in

the 1830s so its accepted purposes evolved over the years through public debate. The

uncertainty contributed to the alienation of land (see Appendix 5), to uses which may not

now be appropriate and to a generally ad hoc evolution of the Town Belt into what it is

today.

To many people the Town Belt is its vegetation. The history of the vegetation maps the

history of the Town Belt. It also reflects changes and developments in the vegetation of

the Wellington landscape since pre-European times. Land clearance by both Maori and

Europeans and the introduction of exotic plants provided the conditions for new

vegetation patterns to emerge. In part, revegetation of the Town Belt was planned

through planting. In part, it occurred through the regeneration of local native species and

the opportunism of introduced plants which have spread from our gardens, pastures and

parks. Local site conditions have determined which of the native and introduced species

have flourished, resulting in a rich mix of vegetation unique to Wellington.

This vegetation is part of a man-made landscape and an essential part of Wellington's

urban character. It is an amalgam of exotic and native plants which supplies the city with

its seasonal display of wild flowers and furnishes the Town Belt successfully by securing

open spaces, holding banks, providing shelter and embellishment so that we can most

effectively use this reserve as a multi-purpose urban asset. Even though it is not "native"

to this country it has cultural value, exhibiting plants that people have brought with them

for survival (such as pasture species) and enjoyment (such as garden plants).

In New Zealand native forest is a unique and essential part of the country's history and

character. It is often seen as more valuable than the vegetation of the man-made

landscape simply because it is "natural". This is an over-simplification but it also is to

misunderstand the way we have altered the balance of nature. We must recognise that

the Town Belt has been irrevocably changed by the introduction of browsing animals,

invasive exotic plants and aggressive insects. If we wish to reinstate native forest to the

Town Belt its regrowth and survival will depend on us. It will not regenerate to mature

forest and then will not survive without our ongoing intervention. It will necessarily be

part of the man-made landscape, will no longer be 'natural' in the sense of being self-

regulating and will only exist because of the value we choose to place on it.

The history of the development of the Town Belt as a multi-purpose urban reserve means

that supporting native forest can only be one of its uses. Turning the Town Belt entirely

into a nature reserve given over only to native forest would alienate many of its users

Page 14

and, thus, damage the support necessary for its long term survival as an urban open

space. It also could be construed as being contrary to the Deed.

We need to respect and value, in all its aspects, the present, hard-won, vegetation on

the Town Belt, use it as the starting point for future developments and manage it wisely.

Everything from seasonal wild flowers and grasses to deciduous trees, pines and native

forest should be recognised and incorporated as part of the total design. The inclusion of

areas of regenerating native forest will be a significant development within the diverse

vegetation of the Town Belt in the future.

Maori Issues

Maori occupation and/or settlement of the Wellington district - Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui

(the head of the fish of Maui) dates from Kupe's discovery at around 950AD. Kupe

returned to Hawaiiki but subsequently numerous tribes occupied the area at different

times.

Tangata Whenua in the Wellington area are Te Ati Awa and Ngati Toa.

Maori historic sites exist on the Town Belt but Maori interest goes beyond this to wider

issues of tinorangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga in the management of Wellington's

environment.

The determination of Tikanga Maori (customary values and Maori practices) for the Town

Belt and other natural and physical values is assisted by the Council's District Plan

(produced under the Resource Management Act), through the production of Iwi

Management Plans and through the decisions of the Waitangi Tribunal.

The Te Atiawa have a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal which covers the whole of

Wellington. Although complex in detail there is essentially no specific application to local

authority reserved land unless it is sold for private use.

An Iwi Management Plan of Wellington is also being formulated.

The release of this Management Plan for public comment provides the opportunity for the

tangata whenua and iwi groups to provide an initial response with on-going consultation

thereafter which will include reference to the Waitangi Tribunal's recommendations and

the Iwi Management Plan when these are completed.

Current Use

In line with the 1873 Deed, the Town Belt is used principally for public recreation. Its

value as an extensive and powerful visual backdrop to the central city and some of the

suburbs also needs to be recognised. The Town Belt is an essential part of what people

recognise to be characteristically "Wellington", important to all Wellingtonians and

visitors alike, irrespective of whether they go into the Town Belt or not.

Patterns of recreation use have changed a great deal over the life of the Town Belt.

Previously the emphasis was on structured 'sport', with little recognition of the

importance of informal recreation such as walking and picnicking. As shown in Figure 3

parts of the Town Belt have been intensively developed for organised sport including an

extensive range of team sports as well as specialised activities such as croquet, squash,

bowls, gun and rifle shooting, golf and cycling. Various cultural and community groups

such as scouts, Plunket and the dog obedience clubs also use the Town Belt.

However, to most people the Town Belt represents a piece of close, accessible open

space that they "own" and in which they can freely ramble, walk to work, hike, run, dog-

walk, picnic and relax. The LINZ (Life in New Zealand survey, June 1991, by the Hillary

Commission) data suggests that informal activities such as walking and playing with

children are high on peoples' favourite activity list these days.

Page 15

This increase in the popularity of informal recreation has been noted by the Council and

is also reflected in the public submissions (received in 1992) which suggest that there is

more than enough land set aside for formal recreation on the Town Belt, that additional

facilities should not be permitted, and, in fact, that some should be removed.

Part of this response is due to the fact that formal recreational uses are currently set

aside under leases and often fenced off. This leads to a perception by many that the

leased area is exclusive to the sports club and no longer available for the public, although

this is not always the case. There are 44 clubs and community groups leasing a total of

9.081ha of land on the Town Belt. Not all of these have signs and/or fences which imply

exclusive use.

The LINZ Survey data as discussed in the Recreation Report (Background Report 6)

indicate some general trends in recreational patterns of relevance to the Town Belt,

including the following.

�

Playing and watching organised sport is predominantly a male activity, while women

are more involved in walking and family related activities. This difference is less

marked in the Maori community.

�

In general, the higher the level of education, the higher the use of leisure facilities.

Those facilities which are more expensive are more likely to be used by income

earners.

�

Teenagers are the major users of facilities for vigorous activity, while people in the

25 - 44 year age group are more focused on family-type facilities. Beyond this age

the interest in vigorous activity drops off, except that men in the 45 - 64 year age

group are the highest users of club facilities, such as golf clubs.

�

Recreation facility activities requiring low levels of physical activity, organisation, skill

and on-going commitment are the most popular.

�

The top favourite five or six leisure activities noted in the survey have similar

characteristics. They can usually be done spontaneously, they usually require no

specialised skill or high levels of physical exertion, many are not affected by seasonal

changes, they have a high entertainment and social value, and they do not require

an organised recreation service or programme.

All of these factors can be realised on the Town Belt. Enjoyment of its diverse

recreational opportunities will help to reinforce the importance of this unique feature of

Wellington. The Town Belt is large and can accommodate many people, it is accessible

from the centre of the City and many suburbs and it has the appropriate informal

character to cater for these informal needs.

To fully realise its potential, however, future management needs to respond positively to

the recreation trends and the specific issues noted in Background Report 6. These issues

include parking congestion at several sports facilities, compatibility between different

users (such as mountain bikers and pedestrians), demand for rationalisation and

improved maintenance of walking tracks and user pressure on the Botanic Garden.

Assessment of the Town Belt as a total entity is needed to encourage its use, distribute

recreation attractions throughout and relieve areas of user pressure.

Existing Land Management Practices

The responsibility for maintenance of the Town Belt lies with the Wellington City Council,

except where land has been leased to others when it becomes the responsibility of the

lessee.

Page 16

In the most visible areas, such as Ruahine Street, grass cutting is carried out once a

week during the spring and summer. In other less visible areas, and at other times of the

year, it is done fortnightly. The more remote areas are mowed less frequently.

Sportsfields are maintained according to the needs of the particular sport.

Trees are only cut down when they are considered dangerous. Very little work is carried

out on trees generally, however, residents' concerns are taken into account and some

pruning or removal may take place. No live material can be taken but dead wood is

allowed to be removed from the exotic forest floor for firewood (except in the Botanic

Garden), although chainsawing on site is discouraged.

Revegetation projects (such as at Mount Albert and Weld Street, Wadestown) are usually

organised with the assistance of community groups, schools, volunteers and local people.

The plants are supplied by the Parks Department and on-going maintenance is carried

out by Parks Department staff.

Rubbish bins are emptied weekly and, where there are no bins, regular checks are made.

From time to time community groups and others carry out clean-ups of the Town Belt. In

these cases Parks Department will supply rubbish bags and arrange for them to be taken

away.

As part of a city-wide programme, infestations of Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba) are

cleared by contractors at the direction of the Parks Department. This includes cutting,

spraying and removal of the weed. Large infestations of other noxious plants are also

removed by contractors.

Walkway tracks are cleared regularly during summer. This work also includes any

repairs, gravelling and other maintenance. Signs are checked regularly and updated as

necessary. Brochures on these walkways are available at various outlets and are

regularly updated.

Page 17

Policies

The following part of this management plan describes the policies which will guide all

aspects of the future of the Town Belt and provide a framework for continuity of

management which this asset has not had before.

Administration

In order to protect the values of the Town Belt, as discussed above and acknowledged by

the people of Wellington, a system of 'rules' is necessary to control the activities of a few

who may impair the enjoyment of the place by the many. Rules also provide a framework

for the uses and development which may take place. It is the Council's intention to keep

such rules to a minimum and, wherever possible, to control activity, which needs to be

controlled, by much more subtle means, such as good design of walkways and facilities,

and the interpretation of features to increase public awareness and respect.

In addition to its role as Trustee over the Town Belt Council also has a responsibility

under the Resource Management Act to control the adverse effects of activities on the

environment. The Town Belt represents a significant resource for Wellington in terms of

open space, recreation and amenity attributes.

Council's District Plan provides a further 'layer' of rules that relate to activities that may,

if allowed by the management plan, be located on the Town Belt. These provisions are

designed to protect the character of the area by complementing the intentions and

policies of the original deed and the management plan. The District Plan provides a

further opportunity for community involvement, both through the Plan notification

process and through resource consent procedures.

This part of the management plan describes the intentions of Council for administration

and management of the reserve. These intentions are in keeping with the over-riding

requirement of the original Deed that the land must be kept forever as a "public

recreation ground for the inhabitants of Wellington".

The funding and long term planning will always consider the Town Belt as a single entity,

although the day to day work may be divided into tasks relevant to specific management

zones. These will fall into either the "southern" or "central" areas as defined by Parks

Department management, or by some other regime yet to be put in place (see section on

'Staffing').

Daily Management

Policies

1 To plan and carry out all the work necessary to maintain and enhance the

environment and facilities of the Town Belt for public use and enjoyment according to

the aims and objectives of this management plan (see pages 5 - 6).

2 To record all management actions taken to provide a resource of data for

administrative, management and scientific purposes.

Staffing

At present the maintenance of the Town Belt lands falls to the staff of the Parks

Department, Culture and Recreation Division of the Wellington City Council, namely the

Managers of the Central and Southern Areas. Very little new planting development work

was carried out during the last twenty or thirty years due to a lack of resources (and lack

of an adequate management plan). However, some planting work in association with

community groups has occurred on an ad hoc basis.

This management plan describes a considerable number of policies which will need

resources and staff to be realised.

It is essential that the responsibility for the direction and management of the Town Belt

be clearly defined within the Culture and Recreation Division to ensure that resources are

Page 18

allocated and work programmed to put these policies in place. This would be a position

which will focus solely on the management of the Town Belt. This person would have to

have a relevant resource management background but be able to draw on additional

skills and expertise from other areas of Council or engage consultants to provide these.

Policy

Council shall establish the position of a Town Belt manager whose responsibilities will

focus solely on the management of the Town Belt.

Maori Partnership

Maori occupation and/or settlement of the Wellington district dates from approximately

950 AD. There are historic Maori sites on the Town Belt but Maori interest goes beyond

this to wider issues of tinorangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga in the management of

Wellington's environment.

Policies

1 The Wellington City Council, in managing the Town Belt, will facilitate and enable the

exercise of tinorangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga by Wellington's tangata whenua.

2 The Wellington City Council shall consult with the community about Maori names and

cultural information relating to features on the Town Belt which shall be incorporated

into the management plan in subsequent amendments and reviews of the plan. This

shall be in accordance with the Council's Policy for Naming Parks and Reserves and

shall retain all existing Maori names.

Relationship to the District Plan

It is proposed that the Town Belt will be identified as a separate open space area in the

new District Plan. The District Plan's policies, objectives and rules will relate to the

Management Plan. The Management Plan states how the Council intends to use the

powers given to it under the Deed and other legislation (see Legal Status section, page

8). The District Plan does not, and cannot, override these powers but must also be

complied with if a resource consent is required for an activity approved under the

management plan.

Any proposal to locate a new activity on the Town Belt will be assessed against the

provisions of both the Town Belt Management Plan and the District Plan. It will only be

permitted if it complies with the provisions of both Plans.

Policy

The Wellington City Council will ensure that any development of, or activity on, the Town

Belt complies with the provisions of the Town Belt Deed and Management Plan and also

the District Plan and the Resource Management Act 1991.

Public Consultation and Community Involvement

Protection of the Town Belt and its resources can only be achieved through the public

exercising its rights and responsibilities of ownership. The onus is on the public to stand

accountable for the future of this public asset. As the agent for the public the Council will

facilitate this accountability. Therefore, there needs to be an easily understood procedure

for public input into important decisions regarding Town Belt management.

The future of the Town Belt depends on the active involvement of the community as it

did during the early period of development. Council resources are limited and the future

work on the Town Belt depends heavily on the involvement of the public to ensure its

success. Council officers and community groups need to work closely in organising

projects which are in accord with the objectives of this management plan (see pages 5-

6).

Page 19

Policies

1 All decisions relating to the negotiation of fresh, renewed and new leases, licences,

easements and long term concessions, which grant special rights over the use of

Town Belt land, shall be publicly notified. Written submissions shall be invited but

provision for public hearings shall be at the discretion of the Chief Executive,

Wellington City Council, or delegated authority. Each case shall be decided on its

merits according to the objectives and policies of the management plan, and taking

account of the public submissions.

2 Applications for activities on the Town Belt which require resource consents shall be

publicly notified where required by the Resource Management Act.

3 All matters to do with changes on the Town Belt requiring public notification (as

above) shall be dealt with according to the provisions of Sections 119 and 120 of the

Reserves Act, 1977 except that the notifications shall be published twice (instead of

once) with a two week interval between. Council shall also consult with interested

parties on matters which relate to the Town Belt.

4 A Town Belt Management Report shall be published annually to facilitate public

accountability in decision making and implementation of the management plan.

5 Council shall assist with the establishment of a 'Friends of the Town Belt',

6 The active participation by the community and the Friends of the Town Belt, in the

ongoing management, maintenance, development and monitoring of the Town Belt

shall be encouraged.

Legal status

To ensure the retention of the existing status of the Town Belt as reserve, the remaining

land of the Town Belt must be seen as sacrosanct in so far as it serves the purpose of the

original Deed. (See Aim 1, page 5).It may be that, in resolving the problems of alienation

and encroachment, some adjustments to the boundary will be made, but the spirit of the

original Deed will be retained. The complexity and anomalies apparent in the land status

investigation (Appendix 2) suggest there is a need for new legislation to regularise

those

anomalies.

Where roads have divided the land in the past they have sometimes created small

unworkable alienations where the land effectively functions as road reserve and Town

Belt management policies are not necessarily appropriate. In some other instances, the

actual road alignments differ significantly from the legal roads on land title documents.

Special legislation will be required to regularise these anomalies as the practical solutions

may require removal of small pockets of land from Town Belt and the reinstatement or

addition of others.

Policies

1 To ensure the legal protection of the remaining Town Belt land.

2 Council will seek to have a Bill introduced to Parliament to regularise the legal status

and unite the lands managed as Town Belt. The concepts being addressed in the Bill

shall be notified for public comment. The public submissions shall be heard and

reviewed by an independent commissioner.

Additions and Acquisitions

Land has been lost from the original Town Belt due to pressures from other uses. There

has often been the misconception that reserve land is a "cheap option" for entrepreneurs

looking for suitable central sites for new development under the guise of "recreation".

Land taken for the Winter Show Buildings is an example of this. The error of this

approach is now evident and the people of Wellington must look for ways to redress past

mistakes.

Page 20

Past policy of Wellington City Council was to try to regain the original boundary of the

Town Belt. However, this is unrealistic considering the way the city has developed and

instead the lost visual and physical continuity of the Town Belt should be regained. (See

Objective 11, page 6). A number of areas are identified below as desirable additions to

the present Town Belt. (See Background Report 5). Some of this land is owned by the

Council and needs to be added to the Town Belt by regularising its legal status

. Items

(i), (ii), (iii), (v), (viii), (x), (xi) and (xii) include land that was originally Town Belt which,

being relatively undeveloped, would be desirable to reinstate. The acquisition of other

land which is privately owned, or owned by other public bodies, will need to be

investigated.

(i)

The Telecom land, the Council-owned reserve land in Stellin Memorial Park, the

Western Slopes Reserve and some privately-owned land below Stellin Memorial Park

on Tinakori Hill (shown as 1a in Figure 4).

(ii)

The former Correspondence School site in Clifton Terrace, the western motorway

edge from Bowen Street to Everton Terrace and the motorway reserve land below

Kelburn Park (shown as 3a, 3b and 3c in Figure 4).

(iii)

Polhill Gully/George Denton Park (shown as 4a and 4b in Figure 4) most of which is

held by Council as reserve or freehold land.

(iv)

Two undeveloped gullies adjacent to the Town Belt on the north side of Aro Street

(shown as 4c in Figure 4).

(v)

Undeveloped land behind Te Aro School in upper Abel Smith Street (shown as 4d in

Figure 4).

(vi)

Council owned land at the end of Epuni Street, behind and to the south of the

Council's existing Epuni Street housing complex (shown as 5b in Figure 4).

(vii)

The gully between Coolidge Street and Connaught Terrace in Brooklyn (shown as 5a

in Figure 4), some of which is also Council reserve land.

(viii)

Council-owned freehold land adjacent to the Macalister Park reservoir (6a in Figure

4).

(ix)

Areas of open space on the ridges flanking Island Bay including cliff areas facing

Cook Strait (shown as 7a and 7b in Figure 4). Some of these areas are already held

by Council in reserve.

(x)

Reserve land adjacent to Crawford Road (9b in Figure 4).

(xi)

The undeveloped land which was taken for Wellington Hospital, Wellington East Girls

College, Wellington College and Government House (shown as 9a and 11a in Figure

4). Part of this latter property is now Council reserve land that was handed back to

the city, free of charge, in 1982 and needs to be reinstated to Town Belt status.

(xii)

The 'Pleasure Ground' at the Mt Victoria Summit (11c in Figure 4).

(xiii)

The centennial memorial and area around the transmitter masts on Mt. Victoria. (11b

in Figure 4).

(xiv)

Point Jerningham.

Some specific policies in this plan relate to the above areas even though they are not yet

Town Belt (eg. vegetation management proposals). These policies will be implemented as

the land comes under Town Belt management as provided in policies 1 - 5 below.

Council also intends to seek the reinstatement of all former Town Belt land which is now

owned by the Crown or a Crown agency, so that the land would legally become part of

the Town Belt once more. This includes land occupied by Wellington Hospital (11d in

Figure 4), Government House (11e in Figure 4), Wellington College and Wellington East

Page 21

Girls College (11f in Figure 4). Formal reinstatement would be mainly a matter of

principle as the land would be leased back, for a nominal rental, to the current occupants

for as long as the existing uses continued. However, an underlying Town Belt status

(which does not exist at the moment) would prevent the uses from changing without

recourse to the Council as Trustee, or the land from being disposed from public

ownership without an Act of Parliament.

The above reinstatement would, in effect, be similar to that of the Wellington Show

Grounds which are part of the Town Belt but where the provisions of the Town Belt Deed

are suspended under the Wellington City Exhibition Grounds Act 1959. If that Act is

repealed or the lease to the Show Association terminates the land will automatically

return to Town Belt status subject to the Deed.

Policies

1 Council shall regularise to Town Belt status adjacent Council-owned land, or acquire

land

, or the use of land

, adjacent to the Town Belt boundary as it becomes

available and where it will contribute to the visual and physical continuity of the Town

Belt, and extend its recreational usefulness.

2 To actively pursue the addition of Council-owned land or the acquisition of the other

areas of land identified on pages 19 & 20 (i - xiv).

3 To initiate legislation to reinstate to the Town Belt all former Town Belt land which is

owned by the Crown or a Crown agency with the condition that the land may be

managed separately from this management plan for as long as the existing uses

continue. This legislation shall be promoted at the same time as the Bill described in

the section on Legal Status, policy 2 (page 19).

4 Where it is not possible to acquire adjacent land, approaches shall be made to the

land owners and/or users, and other concerned authorities. Their active interest in

the Town Belt will be encouraged and their co-operation and support over

management practices on their own land will be sought to complement the

recreational character and intrinsic values of the Town Belt. This might include

negotiation of conservation or open space covenants over their land. These

approaches will be by regular contact and education.

5 Every five years Council shall review progress with achieving the above additions to

the Town Belt and, where additions have been made, will initiate special legislation to

make them formally subject to the 1873 Deed.

Encroachments by Occupation

Over the years encroachments (see Appendix 7, Definitions), other than vehicle

accesses, have created the alienation into private hands of 2.3253ha of original Town

Belt land. This is contrary to the original Deed which intended for the land to be "for ever

hereafter used and appropriated as a public recreation ground.." and, moreover, stated

that the Council was not authorised to alienate or dispose of Town Belt land. The Council

wishes to address this problem by endeavouring to regain lost land (see Objective 16,

page 6) and preventing any more private encroachments from occurring by better

marking and monitoring of the boundaries (see Objectives 10 & 17, page 6).

Policies

1 In accordance with the 1873 Deed no new private encroachments shall be permitted.

2 The Culture and Recreation Committee or a delegated sub-committee of Council will

evaluate each of the existing identified encroachments and determine which of the

following options should apply on a case by case basis, taking into account 2(i), (ii)

and (iii).

(ii)

The adjacent owner who is encroaching shall be required within 12

months to remove whatever item or structure constitutes the

encroachment to enable the land to be "returned" to Town Belt.

Page 22

(iii)

A lease or licence may be negotiated (see Leases, page 25) which shall

have no automatic right of renewal on expiry. If the owner requests a

new lease or license at the time of expiry, a decision will be made after

considering the criteria in the flow chart (Figure 5).

(iv)

In exceptional circumstances and only as a last resort, and subject to

legislation to remove the land from the Town Belt, purchase of the

encroached land at market value may be negotiated and the money

specifically used towards purchasing additional land for the Town Belt.

3 The removal of all encroaching features is the responsibility of the adjacent owner

concerned. If the owner fails to comply within the time specified the work shall be

carried out by the Council after consultation with the owner and the owner will be

charged for the work.

i. Where a lease or licence is negotiated for an encroachment all

costs, including survey costs, associated in doing so shall be met by

the lessee/licence holder.

4 The flow chart in Figure 5 underleaf indicates how each encroachment might be dealt

with in terms of the above policies. The criteria to be used for deciding the outcomes

are briefly explained below.

a. The effect on public recreational value is the first criterion as this reflects

the intention of the 1873 Trust Deed for the Town Belt land to be used as a

public recreation ground. This value may be reduced:

i. materially where the encroachment physically obstructs public

access eg, a building or fence, or

ii. non materially where the encroachment inhibits public use by

appearing to be private land eg, a garden plot which looks like an

extension of the adjoining property even though the land is not

fenced off.

b. Reasons why the encroachment should not be terminated may be accepted

on the basis of :

i. historic circumstances for structures built prior to 1920. In the case

of some older adjacent properties parts of the house were built

across the boundary or right up to the boundary so that removal of

the encroachment would necessitate partial demolition of the house

and/or significantly impair privacy and security for the occupants.

ii. safety eg. a retaining structure has been built to stabilise land eg. a

fence has been constructed as a safety barrier above a steep drop.

c. Purchase of the encroached land. Where removal of the encroachment

would have a major adverse effect on the property or the return of the

encroached land would add little recreational or visual benefit to the Town

Belt. Special legislation would be required in each instance to enable the

Council to sell Town Belt land. Therefore, this option will only be exercised

where it can be justified under public scrutiny by :

i. the circumstances of the case,

ii. the benefit of achieving a permanent solution, and

iii. the benefit of replacing the encroachment with land of more use to

the Town Belt.

d. 'Botanical enhancements'. If the encroachment is a 'botanical'

enhancement to the Town Belt (eg, tree planting) the Council may allow it

to remain provided that public access is maintained (ie, public access is not

discouraged nor prevented). There would be no formal right of occupation

and responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of these areas would be

negotiated.

Page 23

e. Alternatives to the encroachment. The owner may be permitted an agreed

period of time to pursue these if:

i. the alternative(s) are costly, ie. immediate compliance would place

a significant financial burden on the owner, or

ii. the alternative(s) would be otherwise difficult to comply with. eg.

removal of a structure would necessitate building an alternative

structure which could take some time.

f. Remote area. The area of Town Belt affected is not likely to be used by the

general public, even on an infrequent basis.

Access Encroachments

This section deals with encroachments (see Appendix 7, Definitions) where adjacent

property owners are using the Town Belt for private vehicle access to their properties.

This is contrary to the Deed which states that the Council is prohibited from creating

thoroughfares (see Appendix 7, Definitions) across the Town Belt. The Council wishes to

address this problem by resolving the existing access encroachments and by preventing

any more instances occurring of private vehicle access over the Town Belt.

Policies

1 In accordance with the 1873 Deed no new private encroachments shall be permitted.

2 The Culture and Recreation Committee or a delegated sub-committee of Council will

evaluate each of the existing identified access encroachments and determine on a

case by case basis which of the following options should apply.

(i) The adjacent owner who is encroaching shall be required to terminate the private

vehicle access after an agreed period of time.

(ii) An easement (see Appendix 7, Definitions) may be negotiated which may be

personal to the existing owner, so that the benefit of the easement shall not run

with the land. The easement will therefore not necessarily extend to any new

owner of the adjoining land. Any new owner will have to apply for a fresh

easement which will be considered in terms of the criteria in the flow chart (Figure

6).

(iii) In exceptional circumstances and only as a last resort, and subject to public

notification and gazettal, the access may be made a legal road.

3 Where 2(i) above applies, removal of all encroaching features put in place by the

adjacent owner is the responsibility of that owner. If the owner fails to comply within

the specified time the work shall be carried out by the Council after consultation with

the owner and the owner shall be charged for the work.

4 Where an easement is negotiated for an access encroachment all costs, including

survey costs, associated in doing so shall be met by the easement holder.

5 Where the accessway is made a legal road the adjacent owner shall be required to

meet all or a significant part of the cost depending upon the Council's interest in

having the legal road for public use.

The flow chart in Figure 6 underleaf indicates how each access encroachment might be

dealt with in terms of the above policies. The criteria to be used for deciding the

outcomes are briefly explained below.

(i)Does the accessway intrude unreasonably into the Town Belt's recreational nature?

(ii)This relates to the degree to which the intrusion is unreasonable, bearing in mind

the public nature of the Town Belt. The greater the degree of unreasonable

intrusion the more likely the accessway could, in terms of its effect, amount to a

thoroughfare. (See Appendix 7, Definitions). As noted on page 23 the Council is

prohibited from creating thoroughfares over the Town Belt.

Page 24

(iii)Is the access required for Town Belt or utility reasons? This is relevant in deciding

whether the accessway should remain at all, whether or not it is used for private

access.

(iv)Alternative access. If alternative access is available via other land the owner may

be permitted an agreed period of time to pursue this if:

�the alternative(s) are costly ie, immediate compliance would place a significant

burden on the owner, or

�the alternative(s) would be otherwise difficult to comply with, eg. obtaining a right

of way or encroachment licence on other land which might take some time to

finalise.

Alternative access includes both vehicle and pedestrian access. If a property has

pedestrian access the Council is under no obligation to allow vehicle access as

well.

(iv)Reasons why vehicle access should not be terminated. Since private access over

the Town Belt is contrary to the Deed continued use would only be acceptable in

exceptional circumstances. eg, the property has no legal frontage so that it would

be landlocked if the Town Belt accessway was terminated.

(v)Legalising the access. This would be a last resort option since legalising the

accessway would be alienating land from the Town Belt. Council would consider

the impact that the surfacing and kerbing requirements of a legal road would

have upon the recreational nature of the Town Belt. In many locations, this

treatment would be out of character and may have adverse consequences such as

encouraging greater vehicle use and increased vehicle speeds.

Leases

This section relates to leases other than those granted for utilities. (For utility leases see

Utilities section, 26).

The total area of leased land on the Town Belt can not exceed 100 acres (40.46856ha)

according to the Wellington City Town Belt Reserves Act 1908. Currently there are

22.78acres (9.2173ha) leased to various clubs and organisations. Leasing decisions have

been made on an ad hoc basis to date, largely driven by demand and with little thought

given to the distribution of facilities according to need or environmental suitability.

Leasing is permitted to facilitate the public use of the reserve by providing for a wider

range of facilities than would otherwise be available. Any granting of a lease, which in

effect gives private property rights over public land, must be tested against the purpose

for which the Town Belt is

intended and the provisions of the Reserves Act legislation. Market rentals provide a

return to the public for the use of the public land.

Lessees may raise mortgages on their leases of Town Belt land. This gives the lender an

interest in the lease and, in the event of default, the lender may exercise the right to sell

or take over the lease. The leases must, therefore, specify the permitted use or uses and

types of organisations considered appropriate to ensure continued compliance with policy

1 below. This complex issue will be addressed more fully in the Culture and Recreation

Division Standard Lease Policy which is under preparation. The standard lease policy,

once approved, will reflect the requirements of the Town Belt Management Plan.

According to the Wellington City Reserves Act 1871, rental monies received were to be

invested back into the Town Belt to improve the reserve. Separate accounting of income

in this way has been outdated by present day accounting systems (see Funding, page

28), but in effect this requirement is being met as Council's expenditure on managing the

Town Belt far exceeds the income derived from rentals.

Page 25

Policies

The following policies apply to non-utility leases.

1 Future leases

of Town Belt land and facilities shall only be made where the activity

undertaken by the organisation applying for the lease is consistent with the

objectives of this management plan and, as such, complies with the following:

(i)The activity is primarily concerned with public recreation. Preference will be given

to outdoor recreation, either active or passive.

(ii)The activity is open for public participation. Clubs will be encouraged to allow

casual play on their facilities or, at least, that their membership shall be open to

all members of the public.

(iii)The occupation by the lessee will not restrict public access across the land except

during times of active use. Where existing clubs or community groups, by their

very specialised nature, cannot permit this (eg, croquet or bowling greens) their

tenancy will be allowed to continue until they wish to relinquish their lease.

(iv)The activity will not be detrimental to any of the other values of the Town Belt

protected under this management plan.

The only exception to these conditions shall be where leases are required to remedy

existing encroachments (see section on Encroachments by Occupation, page 21), or

where leases are granted for utilities (see section on Utilities, page 26).

2 2. Terms of existing leases shall continue to operate until the leases expire. Fresh

leases granted to existing lessees will be in the terms of these policies.

3 3. Council shall advertise for public submissions or objections on any new or fresh

(see Appendix 7, Definitions) proposal to lease Town Belt land or to significantly alter

the nature of the activity or facilities covered by an existing lease. Payment for the

cost of advertising and legal processing shall be in terms of the Standard Lease

Policy.

4 4. All leases shall comply with the Culture and Recreation Division Standard Lease

Policy.

5 5. The term of the lease shall be for no more than 10 years, with annual rental

review.

6 6. Market rentals, as set out in the Culture and Recreation Division Standard Lease

Document, will be charged for these leases in conformity with the intentions of the

original Deed which were to achieve the "best or most improved rent". Differential

rebates which may be granted where special circumstances apply are also set out in

the Standard Lease Policy.

7 7. Rentals shall be charged on the basis of the area of land occupied exclusively by

the club.

8 8. Signs may be erected, with the written permission of the Chief Executive of

Wellington City Council or delegated authority. This will provide the name and logo of

the lessee, the use of the premises and any contact phone numbers. (See also Signs

and Advertising policies, page 35).

9 9. To ensure that, in granting ancillary liquor licences to sports clubs, the primary

purpose of the reserve, as an area for outdoor recreation and the enjoyment of the

public, is not compromised.

10 10. Leases shall be for a fixed term with no automatic right of renewal. Any fresh

tenancies granted on expiry shall be subject to the above policies.

Page 26

Utilities (See Appendix 7, Definitions)

The 1873 Deed made provision for the Town Belt to be used for 'purposes of public utility

to the City of Wellington and the inhabitants thereof''. This does not mean that the utility

must be in public ownership but it must provide an essential service to the public. All new

utilities, and all replacements and upgradings of existing utilities, therefore, will be

allowed on the Town Belt only where they are essential, all other practicable alternatives

have been exhausted and the Council's specific conditions have been met (see policies

below).

In assessing applications for the routings of privately owned utilities the Council will

consider whether the private utility intrudes unreasonably into the public's recreational

enjoyment of the Town Belt.

All existing and future public and private utilities crossing the Town Belt (above and

below ground) need to be accurately mapped and documented. New utilities,

replacement or upgrading of existing utilities, may be permitted by the granting of leases

or easements providing the recreational nature of the Town Belt is not significantly

disturbed or where the public benefits outweigh any adverse impacts on this recreational

nature. By 'recreational nature' is meant such features as the openness, the greenness

and the peaceful, informal character.

The topography of Wellington means that many private property owners adjoining the

Town Belt must, because of contour, route their stormwater and sewer discharges across

the Town Belt to connect into the main Council networks. It is appropriate that such

connections be allowed with the written consent of Council as manager and trustee of the

Town Belt, provided that the Town Belt is not adversely effected by the laying of the

utility. A fee may be charged for this right and a bond will generally be required to

ensure that the route of the service is restored to the Council's satisfaction. The

connection between the dwelling and the Council's main piping network is a private drain

so the property owner is responsible for any maintenance and repair costs. It is not

intended that formal easements or leases be required for such utilities.

Policies

1 Easements or leases over Town Belt land may be granted for the purpose of allowing

public and private utilities, provided that the utility is an essential service to the

public, that it cannot reasonably be located elsewhere and provided that the impact

on the recreational nature of the Town Belt is minimised by compliance with

conditions 6 (i) -(v) below.

2 Easements shall be granted for utilities that are located underground in terms of

Section 48 of the Reserves Act.

3 Leases shall be granted for utilities that are located on or above the ground and shall

be for less than 20 years. This period shall include both the term of the current lease

and the term of any right of renewal.

4 Subject to the ability of the Council to do so under relevant legislation concerning

utilities, the Council shall negotiate a lease and charge a market rental for any

existing installations on the Town Belt if the ownership of the utility service or any of

its installations changes. (Existing utilities do not necessarily have easements and/or

leases and Council cannot change this unless ownership changes.)

5 Market rentals shall be charged for utility leases and easements in conformity with

the intentions of the original Deed which were to achieve the "best or most improved

rent" and shall be reviewed every 5 years.

6 All new utilities and replacement or upgrading of existing utilities shall comply with

the following conditions to the reasonable satisfaction of the Council.

(i)The impact of all utilities on Town Belt land shall be minimised.

Page 27

(ii)All utility services shall be placed underground, except where it is not practicable to

do so.

(iii)Where practicable, underground services shall be sited to minimise interference

with existing features, facilities and plants.

(iv)Utility services shall be located so as not to restrict areas useable for outdoor

activities or required for future facilities or tree planting.

(v)Any disturbance of the existing site during installation of a utility shall be made

good immediately after completion.

7 7. All costs arising from the application for a new utility or upgrading or replacement

of an existing one shall be met by the applicant.

8 8. All public and private utilities crossing the Town Belt (above and below ground)

shall be accurately mapped and documented with plans to be lodged with Council.

9 9. Where the Council has the legal prerogative to do so upon cessation of a utility to

function, related services and structures shall be removed where it would improve

the recreational value of the land and the site made good at the utility operator's

expense. Where there is legislation which over-rides Council control of this (eg the

Electricity Act 1992) Council shall apply to the appropriate authority for the related

services and structures to be removed.

10 10. The Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated authority may grant

written permission to adjoining property owners to lay private discharge utilities

(such as stormwater and sewer pipes) through the Town Belt to connect into existing

main piping networks subject to the following conditions:

(i)no practicable alternative route is available;

(ii)a fee for use of the route and a refundable site restoration bond, as determined by

Council, shall be paid;

(iii)the adjoining property owner shall be responsible for the accurate mapping of the

connection(s) and shall provide documentation of this to Council;

(iv)the property owner shall be responsible for any future maintenance and repairs of

the private connection and shall be required to make good any site disturbance on

the Town Belt to the Council's satisfaction. This includes any emergency works

being undertaken without prior consent.

Funding

According to the Wellington City Reserves Act 1871, rental monies received from the

leases of Town Belt land, and other income, were to be used to improve the facilities of

the Town

Belt. For example, any revenue derived from the felling of any of the conifer forest could

be used to fund new developmental planting.

However, in recent years Council has made many improvements in its financial

accountability. Consequently, a separate account for Town Belt monies is no longer

needed and it is intended that the 1871 legislation be amended to allow for present-day

accounting procedures.

Currently, expenditure on the Town Belt far exceeds income derived from it (see

Background Report 7). The provision of recreational facilities is one of the key objectives

of Council and will take priority over maximising Council revenue.

Page 28

Policies

1 Allocations for funding of work on the Town Belt will be made during the annual plan

process in the same way as all other Council work is budgeted for.

2 Council shall seek to have a Bill introduced to Parliament to amend the Wellington

City Reserves Act 1871 to permit Town Belt income to go into the Council's General

Fund.

3 Until the 1871 legislation is amended income derived from the Town Belt shall be

specifically accounted for as required by that legislation. Thereafter, Council's income

from and expenditure on the Town Belt shall be reported annually.

Access

The notion of public access available for all is integral to the intent of the original Town

Belt Deed. (See Objective 4, page 5). The emphasis has always been on pedestrian

access, while vehicle access has been acknowledged as necessary for maintenance and

service access to buildings. Therefore, all forms of motorised vehicles are excluded from

Town Belt land except in designated parking areas (see Controls page 30). This principle

will remain. However, the present day emphasis on equity of access is applicable.

Designs for access-ways will ensure that disabled access to the Town Belt facilities is

provided.

Policies

1 To maintain a practicable network of pedestrian and maintenance access-ways to

service the facilities, amenities, utilities and special features of the Town Belt. This

does not include providing access for any purpose other than servicing the Town Belt.

2 To assess the existing network of walking tracks to ensure it most appropriately

serves current use patterns and that the tracks are not in conflict with conservation

management objectives.

3 To develop some tracks of easy gradient accessible for disabled people.

4 To develop inter-linking circular walking routes where appropriate, subject to other

objectives of this management plan.

5 To assess the need for new access points along the boundary and for connections to

nearby track systems.

6 To remove tracks and revegetate areas where access is no longer required.

7 To continue a programme for upgrading walking tracks in order of priority based on

usage and need.

Controls

It is Council's philosophy to achieve control in public spaces through good design and

appropriate maintenance regimes rather than by using too many barriers and signs.

Controls on people's behaviour are needed only where it may impinge on the enjoyment

of the amenity by others. The desire for a peaceful remote atmosphere must be balanced

against the needs of the active sports people. The best way of doing this is to separate

the activities physically (eg. golf) or by timing (eg. control of special events).

Public Vehicle Access (see Appendix 7, Definitions)

Page 29

Policies

1 All motorised vehicles (except emergency and authorised vehicles and those

especially designed for off-road use by the disabled) must keep to designated roads

or parking areas. (see Appendix 7, for definition of disabled vehicle).

2 Temporary vehicle access may be granted for specific finite purposes, and then

terminated at the completion of the purpose. A bond shall be payable by the party

seeking the access which shall only be refundable once any disturbance of the land,

vegetation or other features has been made good to the satisfaction of the Council.

3 Existing formed car parks shall be retained at their present size, except where their

existence is no longer required, in which case they will be removed or converted for

appropriate pedestrian-only recreation use.

4 No additional formal car-parking space shall be constructed unless there is significant

benefit for public recreation on the Town Belt and until all possible sites off the Town

Belt have first been investigated and demonstrated not to be feasible.

Trailbikes and 3 and 4 Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles

Policy

Trailbikes and 3 and 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles are prohibited on the Town Belt unless

authorised in writing by the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council or delegated

authority for emergency or maintenance purposes.

Litter

Wellington City Council would like to promote the idea, as used by the Department of

Conservation, that what you take into a reserve you also take out again. This approach is

reinforced by actually removing rubbish bins instead of installing more.

Policies

1 To continue the current management practice which is to empty bins weekly, to

check other areas on a regular basis and to assist any groups who wish to carry out

"clean-ups".

2 To promote the litter "take home" policy and, where appropriate, remove

unnecessary rubbish bins.

Dumping

Policy

Dumping is prohibited on the Town Belt and offenders shall be prosecuted under the City

By-laws.

Firearms

Policy

The carrying or use of firearms, or any other dangerous instrument, within the Town Belt

is prohibited (refer to the Bylaws), except where permitted within gun club premises or

used for the maintenance or development of the Town Belt (such as pest control) as

authorised in writing by the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council or delegated

authority.

Mountain Bikes (including any non-motorised pedal cycle)

Council's Mountain Bike Policy shall form part of this management plan.

Page 30

Policies

1 Under the Council's Mountain Bike Policy all areas of the Town Belt (except the

Botanic Garden and Zoo) are open to mountain-bikes unless declared closed.

The closed areas are:

�Tinakori Hill: closed to mountain biking except for the ridge;

�Southern Walkway: from Oriental Bay to Palliser Road;

�Berhampore Golf Course;

�Kelburn Park exercise track.

2 2. Mountain bike usage on the Town Belt shall be monitored and those parts of the

Mountain Bike Policy which relate to the Town Belt shall be reviewed from time to

time under this management plan.

3 3. The areas that are closed to mountain bikes shall be clearly signposted to show

this and the code of practice for bikes shall be included on Town Belt information

boards (see Signs and Advertising section, page 35).

Skateboards and Rollerblades (including ultra-terrain skateboards)

Policy

Skateboards and rollerblades are permitted on Town Belt land (except for the Botanic

Garden and Zoo) but may be excluded from specific areas at the discretion of the Chief

Executive of Wellington City Council or delegated authority.

Golf

Policy

Golf, including practice golf, is prohibited on Town Belt land except within the boundaries

of the Berhampore Golf Course.

Horses

The only organised horse club in the Wellington urban area is the Wellington Light Horse

Club based at Houghton Bay. The club currently uses areas at the southern end of the

Town Belt (Mt Albert, Melrose Park). There have been no reports of conflicts arising from

their use.

Policy

The Wellington Light Horse Club will be permitted to continue using the southern parts of

the Town Belt.

Dogs

The aim of this management plan is to preserve the use of the Town Belt for all. This

means that dog owners will be allowed the opportunity to exercise their pets on the Town

Belt as long as this does not reduce the enjoyment of the reserve by others.

The Bylaws(1991) require dog-owners to be responsible for removing any fouling by their

dogs in public places and for keeping their dogs on a leash at all times when in public

places.

Policies

1 Dogs are permitted on the Town Belt but must be kept under control and/or held on

a leash in accordance with the Bylaws (as above). Troublesome animals shall be

impounded.

Page 31

2 A feasibility study shall be carried out to look at areas which could be set aside for

people to have their dogs off the leash as long as they are still under control.

Fire and Fireworks

Policy

Open fires or barbeques (except gas) or fireworks shall not be permitted on the Town

Belt. Exceptions may be made when a fire or fireworks display is associated with a one-

off major public event and has the written approval of the Chief Executive, Wellington

City Council, or delegated authority, or, in the case of fire, is required for maintenance or

development of the Town Belt as authorised by the delegated authority within the

Council.

Camping

Policy

Camping is prohibited on the Town Belt unless expressly authorised in writing for

educational purposes by the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated

authority.

Parachuting/Parapenting/Hang-Gliding

Policy

Parachuting,parapenting or hang-gliding onto or out of Town Belt land is not permitted

without prior written approval of the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council or

delegated authority.

Microlite Aircraft

Policy

Landing or taking off of microlite aircraft onto Town Belt land is not permitted without

prior written approval of the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated

authority.

Special Events(Such as races or festivals).

Policy

Special events which will attract unusually large numbers of people to an area or areas

on the Town Belt at a given time shall be permitted only with the prior written approval

of the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated authority subject to such

conditions and fees as are appropriate to the event.

Plants

Policy

The removal of living plant material from the Town Belt is prohibited except by

authorised personnel.

Weeds

Of the many weed species on the Town Belt those listed in policy 1 below are the major

weed problems at present in terms of localised or widespread competition with native

vegetation amongst other factors. (See Background Report 1, Ecology for detailed

assessment of weed problems.) In implementing a weed control programme the spread

and threat of other species will be monitored and added to the priority list if necessary.

Page 32

Policies

1 To undertake weed control against climbing asparagus, bindweed species, old man's

beard, veldt grass, Eleagnus, Japanese honeysuckle, banana passionfruit, climbing

dock, sycamore and wandering willy throughout the Town Belt. Other plants shall be

added to this list as they present a problem in the future.

2 Weed control programmes shall comply with the requirements of the Noxious Plants

Control Programme of the Wellington Regional Council.

3 The debris from all weed control work shall be removed from the Town Belt to

prevent reinfestation.

4 The safety of the public shall be paramount when weed-spraying programmes are

operating.

Possums

The degree of possum damage in Reserve areas in Wellington varies according to the

vegetation cover. Little work had been done to quantify the problem until recently when

Landcare Research were tasked with assessing 4 Wellington City Council reserves (Karori

Reservoir, Trelissick Park, Khandallah Park and Otari) - none contiguous with the Town

Belt. In the Botanic Garden successful bait stations have been set up. Where parts of the

Town Belt are close to residential areas, bait stations with poison cubes can be installed,

whereas in more remote areas, cyanide poisoning by a licensed operator would be more

appropriate.

An ongoing assessment of the levels of damage in the respective management areas and

their proximity to areas of sensitive vegetation will also be required as part of the

programme.

Policy

1 To assess the impact of possums on Town Belt vegetation and identify where they

are a problem.

2 To develop and fund a programme which includes on-going monitoring, in association

with the Wellington Regional Council, for control of possums in those areas of the

Town Belt where they are having an impact on the vegetation.

Firewood

Policies

1 Dead wood on the floor of exotic forest may be taken by the public for firewood

(except in the Botanic Garden and the Zoo).

2 The use of chainsaws except for vegetation management purposes by Council is

prohibited unless written permission is first obtained from the Chief Executive,

Wellington City Council, or delegated authority..

Structures and Furniture

The original intention of the New Zealand Company Secretary, who gave the instruction

for the land for the Town Belt to be set aside, was that there should be no building

allowed on this land. This instruction was not complied with. However, this management

plan proposes to return to this intention wherever possible. Therefore, the necessity for

all buildings and structures will be progressively reassessed. Where it is determined that

they should be retained, they will, where necessary, be upgraded and altered so as to

reduce their visual impact.

Policies

1 To allow sculpture, artwork, plaques and memorials where they are appropriate to

the purpose of the Town Belt ie. relate in the broadest sense to

Page 33

recreation/conservation/ enjoyment of the outdoors. Exceptions may be made where

existing features are considered to be historical artefacts.

2 Any structures, or items mentioned in policy 1, shall not detract from nor restrict,

physically or visually, the area that is useable for access or outdoor recreation.

3 Seating, picnic tables, rubbish bins, play equipment and all other park furniture shall

be placed with regard to need, orientation to sun, shelter from wind, views and

proximity to access points. Care shall be taken to minimise visual distraction from the

natural environment.

4 All furniture shall be designed and co-ordinated for suitability to function and

appropriateness for the surroundings.

5 Colour schemes, planting and site design associated with existing buildings and

structures shall be revised as each comes up for attention on the routine

maintenance programme to ensure that their visual impact is minimised and that

they are integrated with their surroundings. Where maintenance is the responsibility

of lessees Council shall ensure that the required standards are stipulated in lease

agreements as these come up for renewal and shall check regularly that the

standards are met. Leases shall be revoked if these standards are not met.

6 New buildings or other structures will only be sited on the Town Belt if they are

necessary for public recreation or essential utility purposes, all possible alternative

sites have been assessed and rejected and when all relevant resource consents have

been acquired. Proposals for any such building or structure shall be publicly notified.

7 No new building or structures of any kind will be permitted on the skylines, as viewed

from the central city or from suburban centres. In exceptional circumstances, this

policy shall not apply where buildings or structures are for essential utilities and

cannot be practicably located elsewhere and their public benefits outweigh their

adverse visual impacts.

8 Structures, buildings and furniture which are no longer required shall be removed as

soon practicable, and those that are unsafe or irreparable shall be removed also and

only replaced if the conditions of policy 6 above are met.

9 Custodian's houses shall be retained where a custodial presence is needed for

maintenance and surveillance of adjacent Town Belt land. Where the custodial

function is not required Council shall remove the houses as the opportunity arises.

Signs and Advertising

Signs are necessary for the users of the Town Belt to appropriately use and appreciate

the reserve. These will take the form of maps, historical/interpretive material, and

identification and direction boards. The design of signs will be professionally prepared

and be of a fitting and

co-ordinated style appropriate to the nature of the Town Belt. A unique logo will be

developed for the Town Belt to be used on all signs to enable easy identification of

diverse facilities.

It is seen as desirable for there to be a "family" of signs which are immediately

recognisable as belonging to the Town Belt. Obviously, individual organisations leasing

land on the Town Belt will wish to retain their own identity, but this should still be

possible within broad guidelines of, perhaps, colour and style. Guidelines will provide

suggestions rather than be mandatory.

Policies

1 A unique logo shall be developed for the Town Belt to be used on all signs as a

means of ready identification of Town Belt land and facilities.

Page 34

2 Guidelines for a co-ordinated style for signs appropriate to the nature of the Town

Belt shall be prepared.

3 Where possible all information pertaining to one area shall be combined onto one

signboard.

4 The areas that are closed to mountain bikes shall be clearly signposted to show this

and the code of practice for bikes shall be included on the information boards in 3

above.

5 All signs shall be professionally prepared.

6 No signs or hoardings shall be permitted on Town Belt land which are not

immediately relevant to the activities occurring on, or features of, the reserve. This

includes election hoardings and any commercial advertising.

7 In general, the use of Town Belt land for advertising purposes shall be prohibited.

However, existing and future sponsorship advertising relating to sportsfields shall

only be permitted where:

� within the sportsground concerned, the wording is only readable from within the

sports area and the structure supporting the advertising is sited as

unobtrusively as possible;

� the name of the sponsor is incorporated into the external name signs for the

building provided that these signs comply with size and style requirements set

out in the sign guidelines.

(An organisation/person shall be considered a sponsor where funding is

specifically provided for the sports activities involved, eg, funding competitions,

team uniforms).

8 8. The Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated authority reserves the

right to refuse permission for the display of any advertising material which may

offend any section of the community.

9 9. Temporary signs relating to one-off special events shall be permitted with the prior

written approval of the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council or delegated

authority.

Commercial Use

There is a continuing pressure to allow commercial activities to occur on the Town Belt.

Clear guidelines are needed to define this use. (See Objective 12, 6). A commercial use

may be permitted where it would primarily assist the enjoyment of the Town Belt by the

people of Wellington. (Under the 1873 Deed the Town Belt is to be a public recreation

ground for the inhabitants of Wellington.)

Long term uses are dealt with in the section on leases. However, short term uses would

usually be dealt with through concessions.

Policies

1 No long or short term commercial use shall be permitted on Town Belt land except

where it facilitates outdoor/physical public recreational use and provides for a better

appreciation by the public of the conservation and recreational qualities of the Town

Belt. In this context 'public' means the people of Wellington.

2 Applications for privately or publicly-owned essential public utilities shall be

considered under the provisions of the Utilities section (page26).

3 Any application for a lease or concession for a commercial activity which is not an

essential public utility must be publicly advertised and go through a trial period, as

set by Council, after which public submissions will again be sought if the operator

seeks to continue the activity.

Page 35

4 After the trial period the Chief Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated

authority may grant a lease for the venture in terms of the lease provisions (page

25) provided that, following the public submissions, it is satisfied that the commercial

activity complies with the conditions in 1 above and does not adversely affect public

enjoyment of the Town Belt.

5 Provision of carparking for commercial gain shall not be permitted, except on a

temporary basis inside designated areas to service a particular recreational activity,

and shall be subject to the conditions in the section on Controls, Public Vehicle Access

(page 30)

6 The payment of any application fees, advertising or legal costs associated with

setting up a commercial use shall be made by the applicant.

Safety

Policies

1 To reduce any possible natural hazards where practicable and inform the public of

any significant dangers they may encounter while on the Town Belt.

2 If necessary, Council shall restrict access to parts of the Town Belt for safety reasons

when essential repairs are being made or when general public safety is threatened,

eg. during tree-felling operations. Access may also be restricted when areas of

sensitive vegetation need to be protected during phases of the revegetation process.

3 Walking tracks shall be kept clear of crowding undergrowth to ensure that the public

perceive the tracks to be safe for use.

Applications to Use the Town Belt

Appendix 8 sets out the process that applicants are required to follow when seeking to

use parts of the Town Belt for any medium to long term purposes.

Recreation (see also Objectives, Public Recreation, page 5)

Wellington is blessed with an extensive and accessible recreational resource in its Town

Belt. The variety of its topography and large land area can accommodate a wide range of

recreational opportunities virtually at the back door of many Wellingtonians.

Historically, there was much emphasis upon the development of formal recreation

facilities but current trends reveal the growing popularity of informal recreation. Public

submissions indicated that the community now feels there is sufficient formal recreation

on the Town Belt and that it should be reserved more for passive recreation in keeping

with its informal character.

Council intends to recognise this general trend but must find out more about the specific

recreational needs of user groups and adjacent communities and the availability of

recreational opportunities. Certain uses have direct relevance to the local community (eg,

playgounds) but many of both the formal and informal recreational opportunities on the

Town Belt attract use from the wider population. Recreational planning must consider the

Town Belt in the context of the entire Wellington City area, taking into account all the

reserve lands with their recreational opportunities which are distributed throughout the

city. The Council has released for public comment, a draft recreation strategy for all of

Wellington which includes the Town Belt. Specifically, recreation patterns on the Town

Belt also need to be monitored and assessed to ensure compatibility of use and the

ability of local environments to sustain usage levels. Planned and informed development

of the Town Belt's recreation facilities is needed to encourage Wellingtonians to use and

appreciate this unique asset.

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Policies

1 To provide for informal recreational activities for the benefit, use and enjoyment of

the public, taking into account the ecological sensitivity of the Town Belt and its

ability to sustain a particular use or an increase in use.

2 Emphasis shall be given to informal, (rather than formal) public recreation, and

related maintenance and interpretation needs.

3 There shall be no additional land area developed for organised sports facilities on the

Town Belt.

4 Community gardens may be permitted for approved community groups where the

gardens will provide therapeutic benefits to people who do not have their own

gardens or provide produce for charitable distribution. (Produce shall not be grown

for sale.) The gardens must retain their public character, be compatible with adjacent

uses and have no structures or fencing unless approved in writing by the Chief

Executive, Wellington City Council, or delegated authority. These gardens shall only

be permitted under short-term tenancies of up to three years and shall be publicly

notified in accordance with Policy 1, Public Consultation and Community Involvement

(page 18).

5 Provision for recreational use shall be planned to reduce any potential and existing

conflict between different users.

6 Council shall seek better information on people's needs for informal recreation on the

Town Belt.

7 Council shall explore ways of accommodating the needs of less frequent users of

recreation facilities.

8 Walkway routes shall be rationalised to ensure easy, safe access for all sectors of the

community, with an emphasis on well-marked, circular routes where appropriate.

9 Council shall develop a new walkway through the Town Belt from the Bolton Street

Memorial Park to the Berhampore Golf Course, with the intention to eventually

extend it out to the coast along the Tawatawa ridge on the west side of Island Bay

(see item (ix), Additions and Acquisitions, page 20).

10 The Northern and Southern Walkways and the new walkway (see policy 9 above)

shall be maintained to a high standard which will withstand concentrated year-round

use.

11 The walkway system shall be accurately mapped and interpreted, and this

information will be freely available to the community.

12 To encourage maximum sustainable use of all formal recreation facilities by

intensifying the use of sports surfaces and ensuring the multiple use of ancillary

facilities, such as clubrooms, to reduce the demand for additional facilities on the

Town Belt.

13 Formal recreation facilities shall be maintained to their present standard.

14 Sportsgrounds shall be temporarily closed as soon as the surface is unable to sustain

sporting use in order to prevent any damage to the reserve or the vegetation.

15 The Culture and Recreation Division Standard Leasing Policy shall be applied to all

the recreational facilities leased to private groups and clubs (see under Leases pages

25 -26).

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Vegetation Management

(see also Objectives, Conservation and Land Management, page 6)

Introduction

The Town Belt is covered in a wide variety of vegetation types, from open sportsfields at

the Berhampore Golf Links and Macalister Park to native bush in the Botanic Garden.

However, most is a mix of coniferous and other exotic forest and/or native and exotic

scrub. (See Figure 7). Together they make up the image we have of the Town Belt today.

The present vegetation must be accepted collectively as the starting point for the future

vegetation and its management. The forest cover we have on the Town Belt today has

taken many years, and a great deal of effort from early Wellingtonians, to develop. This

forest environment, has been hard won and must be protected.

A forest is a living system and, as such, is constantly changing through natural

processes. We should work with, not against, these processes to achieve not only a more

ecologically sustainable result, but also one which will cost us less in the long run.

The artificial establishment of native forest on bare sites requires a major commitment in

terms of labour and financial resources, because it is a slow process needing a lot of

maintenance. However, in many areas of the Town Belt exotic forest and scrub cover

now provides conditions in which native species are regenerating naturally, although, in

some areas, regeneration is inhibited by invasive weeds. However, the diversity of

mature native forest will not eventuate without intervention, due to the lack of seed

sources for climax species in the existing environment.

Many introduced species, including conifers, grow more quickly and, therefore, require

less maintenance and, consequently, fewer resources. The existing conifer forests will

remain healthy for decades yet, but they are unlikely to regenerate on their own. Where

continued exotic forest is desired, replanting will be necessary.

The successional processes already occurring, must be recognised and the existing

environmental conditions and recreational requirements used to guide our choice of the

most appropriate type of final forest cover to achieve the most efficient use of resources.

We must also recognise that it is not an option to do nothing if we are to perpetuate the

forest cover for we cannot presume that the forests of the Town Belt will be self

sustaining. The presence of competitive weeds, the lack of seed sources for native forest

species and the limited regeneration potential of most exotic trees demands active forest

management.

We must also recognise that it is not only the forest trees which have a value. Shrubs,

herbs and grasses have cultural, historical, economic and ecological importance. All

species must be included in the management considerations.

The variety of vegetation types on the Town Belt offers a range of recreational and visual

experiences which is valued by the people of Wellington. There are those who will argue

for the creation of pure native forest cover, and those who prefer the open understorey

of the coniferous forest. There is scope to accommodate a range of preferences. The

landscape and microclimates are varied enough to carry variety in the vegetation cover

and, as this is a public reserve, the desires of as many of the community as practicable

should be accommodated.

The Need For Vegetation Management

The Town Belt vegetation has great potential for educating the public about natural

processes (eg, regeneration and succession) and the need to manage the Town Belt

forests. This would mean achieving multi-purpose forests designed and managed to meet

conservation and education objectives whilst satisfying the recreational and aesthetic

requirements of the city environment. The ultimate objective would be to establish and

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maintain a balanced forest system within the confines of the city which would include

both exotic and native forest types.

To achieve this a planned management regime is needed for every area of the Town Belt

to replace the rather ad hoc approach which has been used this century. Very little

planned planting has occurred in the last 30 years, and most of the early planting now

requires decisions on its future.

Vegetation Management Strategies

Detailed vegetation management strategies for the management areas are set out in Part

2 of this Plan. The regime to be adopted for a given site depends upon the existing

vegetation, site conditions, recreation use and landscape considerations.

Figure 8 shows, in broad terms, the proposed pattern of vegetation cover. It should be

noted that this is a long-term objective to be gradually achieved by modifying the

existing vegetation.

The comparative areas of the simplified vegetation types mapped in Figures 7 and 8 are

set out in Appendix 6. This shows that native vegetation is to be established on a much

greater proportion of the Town Belt than at the present time, providing a basic

vegetation framework (60% of the proposed vegetation types compared to 20% of the

existing vegetation.) This is a realistic approach within the timeframe of this plan (50-

100 years), based upon experience of native revegetation work. It is to be developed

from the existing areas of native regeneration, gradually replacing most areas of rank

grass and exotic scrub and replacing significant areas of conifer forest (most notably,

Tinakori Hill).

Within the native framework smaller stands of conifer forest are to be perpetuated as

landmark features . The largest area to be retained in conifers and mixed

conifer/eucalypt forest is on Mt Victoria, due to difficult site conditions, intense

recreational use and visual considerations. (See Management Area 11, Part 2 of this

Plan).

The areas of mixed woodland are based upon existing forest of this type where, most

particularly, exotic broadleaf trees with a native understorey provide seasonal leaf

change as a feature of interest.

It is also proposed that parts of the existing mown grassland be managed by less

frequent mowing as perennial meadows to allow for seasonal flower displays.

It must be stressed that the success of the vegetation management strategies will

depend upon preparation of detailed implementation programmes. Implementation does

not simply constitute planting programmes but must make allowance for considerable

allocation of resources for maintenance and monitoring. Competition from invasive weeds

is a chronic problem on the Town Belt and will be an ongoing responsibility for both

existing vegetation and new planting. As stated earlier, the vegetation is constantly

changing by natural processes and further changes will result from the management

regimes. It is essential that these dynamics are monitored and recorded as a reference

source for the future. This should not only include records of planting and maintenance

programmes but regular photographic records taken every five years from specific

photograph points.

There is a need to establish, within Council, a staff position to deal specifically with the

management of the Town Belt (see section on Staffing page 17) including the long-term

implementation of the planned vegetation management.

"Conservation Sites" listed in the District Plan

There are 26 "conservation sites" listed in the District Plan. None of these falls within the

existing Town Belt, but four are immediately adjacent to the its boundary: Tawatawa

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Ridge; Tapu Te Ranga Marae; Karori Reservoir; and Polhill and Waimapihi Gullies.

Policies

1 To prepare an implementation plan for the vegetation management in each area,

generally following the regimes set out in the specific Management Area policies in

Part 2 of this Plan.

2 Council shall instigate a feasibility study into the establishment of a multi-disciplinary

Town Belt Management Unit (see also under Staffing page 17) to manage the

vegetation of the Town Belt.

3 To establish a programme of monitoring and recording changes occurring in the Town

Belt vegetation as a reference source for future management and for public

consultation.

4 To establish, maintain and protect vegetation appropriate to the uses and site

conditions of the various areas of the Town Belt.

5 To protect all areas of vegetation from fire and invasive weeds.

6 Areas of the Town Belt adjacent to the "conservation sites", listed in the District Plan,

will be managed to be compatible with and to acknowledge the existence of these

sites.

7 To stabilise and restore those areas prone to erosion with appropriate management

practices. This would usually mean adopting a revegetation programme rather than

building a structural support.

8 Areas designated to be regenerated with native species shall have all wilding pine,

macrocarpa and invasive exotic tree species such as sycamore removed.

9 To retain gorse/broom scrub to act as a nurse crop for regenerating native plants

where a return to native forest is an objective. If peripheral areas cause an aesthetic

or potential fire problem they should be overplanted with native shrubs.

10 Where areas are to be replanted with native or non-coniferous species, consideration

will be given to using a preponderance of bird food species (eg. tree lucerne, Salix

spp., oaks, Banksia spp., Grevillea spp, kowhai, puriri, tree fuchsia, rewarewa).

11 Where planting of native species is required the species shall be those native to the

Wellington Ecological Region and shall be propagated from local seed or plant sources

(eco-sourced).

Interpretation / Education

Despite the fact that the Town Belt lies on the doorstep of central Wellington, surprisingly

few people know its extent, its history, the ecological lessons it can teach, or the

recreational opportunities it offers.

The long, unmarked boundary and the complex topography of the Town Belt exacerbate

this problem, but there has also been little effort made in the past to "interpret" the

Town Belt to its users and potential users.

It is the intention of this management plan to address this situation.(See Objectives 5 &

18, pages 5 -6 ). Out of a better understanding and knowledge will grow a greater

respect, and out of this respect will grow the motivation to preserve this priceless asset

for future generations with the same wisdom and forethought that was demonstrated by

the founders of Wellington who put the original tract of land aside "forever".

The value Wellingtonians place on the Town Belt will also be appreciated by visitors and

tourists. We need to ensure that they are made aware of what the Town Belt has to offer.

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To be able to walk through the "New Zealand bush" just minutes from the centre of the

city is a feature which should be capitalised on.

Historic Interpretation

The whole of the Town Belt and its vegetation can be seen as an historic artefact

embodying the cultural aspirations of the citizens of Wellington over the last 150 years.

These unquantifiable factors and their associated ideas have shaped the Town Belt.

The history of sport in the late nineteenth century, as well as the expanding size of

Wellington, decided where and when sportsfields were developed. New ideas for planting

new species were tried on the Town Belt. Track systems developed in response to

perceived needs which have changed over time.

An historic interpretation of the Town Belt is larger than a mere interpretation of the sites

on it. However, site interpretation will need to be the focus of initial work.

Policies

1 Sites worthy of note in both Maori and European history shall be marked with

appropriate signage.

2 Council shall investigate the best methods of providing comprehensive historical

information on the Town Belt for citizens and visitors alike.

3 An inventory of historic sites and features on the Town Belt shall be compiled and

legal protection sought where appropriate via the Historic Places Act and the District

Plan.

Ecological Education

The ecological systems of the Town Belt have been heavily modified since human

habitation began. However, there are many opportunities to set areas of the Town Belt

aside for vegetation to regenerate, and this is addressed under "Vegetation

Management". However, the ecology of an area encompasses all species existent in that

area, irrespective of whether they be considered "weeds", "natives", "exotics",

"desirable" or "undesirable". There is considerable value in being able to study the

interaction of all species, including the impact of human activity.

(Note the District Plan states: "No activity shall be undertaken within 20m of a

conservation site, where that activity involves any effect that may disrupt the ecology of

the site.")

Policies

1 Interpretive information on the natural processes occurring on the Town Belt shall be

supplied by way of signs and information brochures available from appropriate

locations.

2 Local schools shall be encouraged to use the Town Belt for study projects.

3 Assistance from local communities shall be sought to help with revegetation projects

and weed control or tree releasing in certain areas.

Maori Sites

Some important sites to the Maori people in Wellington have been included in the District

Plan. Those which lie on the Town Belt are as follows:

�

Moe-ra Kainga (bottom of Ohiro Rd above Maarama Cres.)

�

Te Akatarewa pa (above the Mt Victoria tunnel)

�

Matairangi/Tangi-te-keo (Mt Victoria)

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�

Omaroro cultivation area (behind Pearce St, off Connaught Tce)

�

Nga Kumikumi clearing (north side of Brooklyn Rd. and Nairn St. intersection).

�

Ahumairangi Ridge (parallel with Grant Road)

�

Owhariu - Thorndon Track (north end of Tinakori Hill)

Policies

1 Any activity occurring on or near the sites listed above shall be discussed with the

Tangata Whenua before any modifications are made.

2 Wellington City Council shall discuss ways to interpret and/or protect Maori sites with

the Tangata Whenua.

Tourism

Wellington is today identified as a tourist destination in a way never thought of in the

past. Tourism is the largest single foreign exchange industry in New Zealand, generating

$3.3 billion per year, an increase of 19% since 1992. Wellington is already among the

five regions which benefit most from overseas tourism and the Wellington Tourist Board

is investigating ways to increase its share of the growing tourist industry.

Arguably, the Town Belt is a forgotten legacy which has been undervalued. The Zoo and

the Botanic Garden attract considerable visitor interest, but it is time to promote the

merits of the whole of the Town Belt as an essential part of the 'Wellington Experience'.

Its forested hillsides and undeveloped ridgetops are integral to the rugged beauty of

Wellington's landscape, with numerous opportunities to experience and appreciate the

visual contrasts that make Wellington a scenic destination.

Research by the New Zealand Tourism Board reveals that short bush walks rate high

amongst the six most popular activities undertaken by overseas visitors. This alone

makes the Town Belt a prime location for developing tourism. Its proximity to the central

business district, its numerous access points and the variety of short, relatively easy

walks through forest clearly provides opportunities that tourists are looking for.

Furthermore, there is potential to tap the growing popularity of 'ecotourism' by

promoting the Town Belt as an urban ecosystem - a concept which encompasses the

recreation, health and aesthetic needs of urban dwellers with principles of conservation

and forest management.

Currently, visitor information relating to the Town Belt is fragmentary - focusing on the

Botanic Garden and Zoo and the Northern and Southern Walkways (routes longer than

tourists' preferred short walks). There is potential to promote the Town Belt in its

entirety as a tourist attraction, stressing its importance in Wellington. A range of the

preferred short walks and visitor focal points should be planned throughout with

appropriate visitor facilities, linked in with visitor themes such as conservation, historic

and scenic interpretation.

Specific opportunities for upgrading and extending walking opportunities, providing site-

related visitor information and providing a range of environments are identified in the

specific Management Area policies, in Part 2 of this Plan.

The Town Belt's tourist potential warrants serious investigation and formulation of a

promotion strategy which would form the basis of Council planning and funding as well as

opportunities for seeking sponsorship.

Policies

1 Council shall prepare a strategic tourism marketing plan for the Town Belt.

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2 In the interim, Council shall promote the existing Town Belt facilities (eg, tracks,

information, viewpoints) as part of the 'Wellington Experience' for visitors.

3 Tourist activities and the promotion of tourist activities shall not be detrimental to the

informal, and natural character of the Town Belt.