Patumahoe Hill Summit your view?

or

Go on line at www.patumahoe.org.nz and let us know what sort of view you would like - forever

Patumahoe Hill Summit

A simple idea such as the proposed mound on the summit could give you protected views forever from the summit in all directions as in Option B. The current plan change that has been accepted allows up to 74 new houses that will potentially block any view forever from the summit area. This is along the 180 degrees of the new subdivision with views blocked by houses, fences and plantings. This is as shown in Option A. The power with the decision is largely in the hands of the land owner, planners from outside this area and Auckland Council. The view of the community can influence their decision making so have a say. On the one hand Auckland Council is trying to have the 53 volcanoes of Auckland recognised as so significant that they are registered as World Heritage status with Unesco. Patumahoe Hill is a similar volcano of average height and with commanding views but in South Auckland it is OK to build houses on half of the volcano.

Patumahoe Hill Introduction to the past and future

Patumahoe Hill is one of Aucklands volcanoes. It is one of the older volcanoes in the Auckland field and does not have a steep contour at the summit after years of erosion speeded up by the many years of cropping on and around the summit. It has been privately owned for close to 150 years shortly after land was confiscated from local Iwi. The plan change includes (by regulatory necessity) a 20m buffer zone that will pass almost directly over the summit to separate residential housing from cropping. The plan change proposes public access along the buffer zone. Views from the summit area are already compromised to some extent with a house located close to the summit and 2 other buildings. The proposed housing development provides no protection of views from the summit and over time with houses, fences and plantings, there will be no views for 180 degrees in this direction. Interestingly in the old Auckland City Boundary all volcano summits have been protected by legislation since 1915. Typical councillor and planner comments in Auckland are: Without our volcanic cones, and our views of them, Auckland becomes just much more like any other city in the world. These are the single geographic feature that sets us apart and makes us special. There are now moves within AC, led by Dr Roger Blakely, to have Aucklands Volcanos recognised as a Unesco Heritage site. This initiative has not yet been supported by the Franklin Local Board.

The Proposed Patumahoe Hill New Look

The new look will have one of Aucklands volcanos with a totally contrived and unnatural look. The volcano will be split down the middle with a housing development on one side and cropping land on the other All aspects of significance in relation to the summit will be further compromised ecological, cultural visual amenity and character and community.

Why not create a Mound - Great Idea! Enhance & Restore the Summit
The summit area is already compromised with existing buildings and now is about to be compromised further. The opportunity to enhance the summit area with a mound to restore views, has been overlooked by the plan change process in our opinion.

PVI Collaborative Approach

Patumahoe Village Inc (PVI) has continued to take an intentionally collaborative approach with the process of putting forward the mound proposal. The original concept was presented to the Proposed Plan Change hearing a few months ago after discussing the idea with the landowners and holding open public meetings. We were not seeking to reduce the number of proposed titles with the development primarily because the success of this is limited by the identification of Patumahoe as a growth node. We were simply looking to recognise and enhance some of the significant features of the volcano. The hearing concluded that while they liked the concept they would not be enforcing any mound conditions with the plan change with their view that there was opportunity to do this at the next stage. While we did not agree with this ruling and felt there was sufficient evidence to appeal we chose not to, so as to continue to work collaboratively and understand all views from the likes of current and future land owners, Auckland Council, Local iwi and the community. At an earlier community meeting some months ago regarding a less well developed mound proposal, there was almost 90% support for the concept. The proposal is now at a stage where we believe it is important to gain feedback to see if there is wide support for enhancing the summit with a viewing area or if the community is happy to accept the development as proposed.

Patumahoe Hill What do you prefer?

Option A A volcano summit area with almost no views and long term none Option B A volcano summit area with 360 degree views forever for all to enjoy. Views to almost all of Aucklands other volcanoes and other significant local landmark features

Window of Opportunity Here Now Not Yesterday Not Tomorrow

A window of opportunity is here to not only include public access to the summit but also include an earth mound at the time of subdivision. This will provide a 360 degree view forever for all to enjoy. Once the subdivision is complete this window of opportunity is gone forever. A simple low impact, low maintenance, low cost, earth mound will not be possible.

Patumahoe Hill - Option 2 can be achieved if Local Community and Iwi support is significant and this in turn influences the landowner.
Auckland Council influence is confusing. Local Board Say it cant become involved as it goes through the consenting stages. South Auckland Planning Division - Say we are a step too soon with this request, (although the buffer zone width of 20m is now less flexible in terms of being adjusted to suit the best option - you could argue we are a step too late). Auckland Planning - Are applying to have Aucklands 53 volcanoes registered as a World Unesco Heritage site. Franklin District volcanoes not included it is OK to build houses on half a volcano. Auckland Heritage - Say it is ultimately a Local Board issue via the Unitary Plan in terms of registering sites as Outstanding Natural Features. They did also comment that the system is perhaps flawed with there being only one level of rating for ONF. Even Pukekohe Hill is not an ONF and as a result trees growing on properties below will soon block view shafts from the summit with no legal recourse for Council. South Parks & Reserves Say it is not yet an issue for them as the 20m wide buffer zone has not been vested in Auckland Council and indeed may never be. They are reluctant to pick up extra reserve areas as Patumahoe is already oversupplied in terms of area / population and ongoing maintenance becomes a concern for AC. (Therefore any extra Reserve area would need to demonstrate that there is high public good benefits and a high level of use). Consents To build a mound over 1.5m tall requires a consent. They were most helpful in outlining that if it was demonstrated that there was wide public support for this option the consent process could be quite rapid without necessarily having to go through the public notification process.

Private Plan Change 37 Regulatory Commission Hearing Outcome

The regulatory committee at the hearing appeared to be in favour of our earlier, less developed mound proposal but then issued a resource consent for the PPC that: Did not recognise the ecological significance of the summit (identified by our Draft Patumahoe Structure Plan), because it has not been adopted by our Local Board. Did not recognise the summit as an Outstanding Natural Feature (ONF) - once again, because it has not been recognised by FDC in the past. To put this into context, Pukekohe Hill itself is not regarded as an ONF. Not only that, the comments from the submitter's landscape architect regarding the low impact on the community was accepted as credible - even though no consultation had taken place, and this was in contradiction to all community feedback we have received over the years. Did not recognise the cultural significance of the summit (which was the centre of confiscated "Native Reserve which now forms the Village of Patumahoe, because it has not been identified as such by FDC). Finally, the resource consent was approved - with the proviso that the words "The removal of the words Potential Summit Viewing Area from the Landscape Concept Plan Diagram 54 D(VIII)." were removed from the landscape design.

A Potential Mound View from Patumahoe Hill. (NorthWest)

This is from a height of just 4.2m above the current highest point on the 20m wide buffer zone.

Awhitu Peninsula Manukau Harbour

Auckland City

Another great view (North East)

Looking over Patumahoe Village

Papakura

Hunuas

Pukekohe in the distance

.

Pukekohe Hill

Nearby volcano

To the South West Whakaupoko

Note that if the mound was made 1 or 2 metres higher then the view to the West would be above the existing house on the summit. (2m higher equates to around 3,000m3 extra soil)

Port Waikato

Whakaupoko

Mound Concept 2 (Local Landscape Architect, Amy Hobbs)

Summit Viewing Mound Concept

Orange Light green Dark Green Viewing area contained by eg rock wall 5m wide flat area, highest point, no access - sacred ground/tapu. Contains low ground covers or volcanic rocks. Screens views to houses below. Mound sloping away from summit. Gentle slope along entry and exit summit paths, 45 degrees on other sides. Low growing plants.

House privacy protected

Summit view to houses directly below is screened by summit ground cover plantings and taller plantings lower down.

Summit Cross section

View from North West showing superimposed mound and 45 degree slopes.

View from North showing profile of more gentle slope of mound along walking path

Cape Reinga Viewing area example. Low maintenance rock wall

Another view from Cape Reinga

Patumahoe Hill could have rocks from other surrounding volcanoes positioned on the wall and labelled in the correct line of sight for example. Local Luke Sinclair and his mate Kendall Bristow begin their long journey to Bluff on the great Te Araroa walkway. Started: Nov 7th, 2013 Completed: Feb 28th 2014

Patumahoe Mound Summit View

Patumahoe Hill Summit View Restoration Mound Option

Idea Build a 5 7m high mound near the summit so that there are close to 360 degree views protected forever.

Views to other volcanoes in the Auckland region.

Views to the local region and distant horizons

Views connecting local significant Pa sites.

Views are protected in all directions even in the event of further subdivision activity on the other side of the volcano.

Mound Detail
3,000 7,000m3 depending on height, width and slope of walking track Ideally 1:10 slope = high access for almost all capabilities Side slopes 45 degrees Ground cover species around summit and taller species as get lower to permit view outwards with minimal maintenance

Patumahoe Hill Significance

The current proposal further degrades all aspects of significance. The mound proposal potentially enhances some of the below 1. It is one of Aucklands volcanoes right here on our doorstep
2. It is a significant visual amenity reflecting a rural character. This is when viewed from below. This feature cannot be rescued by this proposal. (Refer character at bottom right at road level)

Patumahoe Hill Significance

3 It has ecological significance being a high point and line of sight with all volcanic summits is seen as desirable in Auckland. This extreme significance is further enhanced with the summit located just 300m from the Village central area. Auckland Council are well aware of this significance with their move to seek Unesco World heritage status for the 53 volcanoes of Auckland. This initiative is not supported by the Franklin Local Board.

4 It has historical cultural significance to Maori as the centre of what was once a Native Reserve area of 700 acres that was confiscated in 1863. This land now makes up the Village of Patumahoe.

What extra is needed to make this simple idea happen?

A simple pile of earth.
At the time of subdivision earthworks, surplus soil needs to be located somewhere why not on the summit area.

Resource Consent.
This would be required for the mound as it is over 1.5m in height.

A little more land at the summit more than 20m wide.

Just an extra 400m2 would allow space for a mound for the enclosed concept plan. This is less than .5% of the total subdivision area. The plan allows a good sized viewing area while at the same time screening views to any houses directly below. This does not reduce the number of titles allocated to the proposed plan change and increases the local amenity for future residents of this new development.

A viewing area to be built

With a community willing to help. In our view their would be far more community commitment to a resource that provided commanding views rather than an alley way that looked at walls, hedges and the backs of houses.

Retrofit Viewing area later Ugly

x
* * * * * * Expensive Limited access Less natural Maintenance issues? How do you screen views? Safety issues

The Patumahoe Community has a great track record with community projects. For instance relocating the Scout and Girl Guides building next to the school

Te Ara O Whangamaire
Connecting 2 Auckland Council Reserves across private land. A volunteer community led initiative in consultation and support from local Iwi and AC. All construction and ongoing maintenance has been done by the community.

Patumahoe Village Inc consulting with the Community about planning the future. Over 400 people came along.

Community Spaces Who does Maintenance???

Patumahoe Searle pond & walkway subdivision * Developer has complied and is moving on to the next green space * Council dont want more reserve areas to maintain Perhaps tomorrows solution involves a mobilised community ?

Maori Cultural Heritage

Patumahoe Hill - the high point of one of the last remaining Native Reserves in the area.

In the 1850s it is well documented that Patumahoe was a thriving settlement of Ngati Tamaoho who grew European crops and ran a flour mill through to when the land was confiscated in 1863.

Significant Maori Cultural Heritage

The summit of Patumahoe Hill is the high point and almost in the centre of what was the 700 acres of Patumahoe Native Reserve prior to its confiscation in 1863. It is well documented that in the 1850s through to the time of confiscation Patumahoe was a thriving Ngati Tamaoho community growing crops and with their own flour mill. With design of the summit mound let the community acknowledge this and the significance of Patumahoe Hill to Iwi.

Overlay of Native Reserve on Patumahoe

Summit with a View adds value

Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) + 1,000,000 visitors/yr Why It is a volcano It is close to where people live It provides commanding views It is valued by the Auckland Community (How many people would visit the summit of Maungakieki each year if there were no views)?

Community Buy In
With bringing back to life a community treasure there is more potential for community support. Eg:
Volunteer mound wall construction and sourcing of rocks Planting of ground cover plants Maintenance of pathway and summit area Perhaps some more funds for more detailed plans On going community consultation

Win for all

Community The community can enjoy a view and a walk or bike ride right on their doorstep. The summit area can tell a story and help with education of future generations as they look to connect with their environment. Developer Increased value of sections to developer with greater asset right on the subdivision boundary Auckland Ratepayers Wider community and all of Auckland ratepayers can enjoy with minimal cost for establishment and maintenance Local Iwi have some of the cultural and ecological significance of Patumahoe Hill restored and some acknowledgement of their past in the Village of Patumahoe Patumahoe Business community can benefit from more visitors Auckland Council and the Local Board can be proud of a low cost, multi purpose reserve that creates both a buffer zone and more importantly a place of real community value that promises to have excellent community support.

So - Patumahoe Hill what do you prefer?

Option A A volcano summit area with almost no views and long term none Option B A volcano summit area with 360 degree views forever for all to enjoy. Views to almost all of Aucklands other volcanoes and other significant local landmark features