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As you would have seen in the newspapers recently the Environment Court has
now released an interim decision that sets out guidelines on the new Long Bay
Structure Plan. As part of this, the judge has created four buffers between the Long
Bay Regional Park and adjacent development in which no buildings are allowed.
The first of these is a Heritage Protection Area at the seaward end of Awaruku
Ridge extending inland to 30m beyond the ditch and bank running across the
hillside (visible as a scar across the hill from Beach Road). It also includes most of
the slopes above the Red Shed on the northern side of the ridge. This protects the
Maori and early-settler archaeological sites on the headland and provides a visual
buffer between the park and any development.
The second buffer is on Homestead Spur. This spur runs from the bridge on the
Nature Walk (the one crossing Vaughans Stream behind the plant nursery)
northward up to Grannies Ridge behind Vaughan's Homestead. The buffer on this
spur will prevent housing from overlooking the Vaughan's Homestead and the
nature walkway and keep houses behind the spur out of sight from most of the
park.
The third and fourth buffers keep housing off Grannies Ridge and Piripiri Point
Ridge above Grannies Bay and overlooking Okura. Grannies Ridge runs from the
Grannies Bay sign on the cliff tops westwards to the woolshed up by the clump of
pine trees on the skyline. The buffer on this ridge requires all housing to be hidden
from Grannies Bay, although the shape of the ridge may be changed to achieve this.
Piripiri Point Ridge runs north from the woolshed along the skyline right to Piripiri
Point at the end of the Regional Park. The judge has prohibited all building on this
ridge. This will protect the skylines of Okura, Grannies Bay and Pohutukawa Bay.
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The judge also declared that the land bounded by these two
ridges, the Homestead Spur and Vaughans Stream constitute an Outstanding Natural Landscape.
The setting aside of the buffers is a great result for the Society and will mean much more
protection to the Long Bay Regional Park and that most of the Park will not be immediately
overlooked by housing.
Although the interim decision has been released the Court process is not yet over and there
is still a lot of work to be completed to finalise the decision. The Judge's decision outlines in
broad terms what he wants to happen in the Structure Plan and it is now up to all the
parties, the Great Park Society, North Shore City Council, Land co and the others to agree
as to what this decision actually means on the ground. Some areas of the Judge's decision
were laid out very clearly, detailing what he requires. In other areas the Judge has given some
suggestions as to possible solutions and has asked the parties to work out the best resolution
and report back to him.
We have met with the other parties twice as part of the process to finalise the Structure
Plan. As part of these discussions we are working through where the exact boundaries of the
buffers will lie. Unfortunately until we have determined these boundaries we will not be able
to provide you with a plan showing the extent of the buffers. Once we have worked through
these negotiations the Society will come back to you with a plan outlining where the buffers
are.
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