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Our newest reserve – this piece of land will be retained for the community after a successful campaign by the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.
A piece of land alongside the Weiti River which was to be sold by Auckland Council has been secured as a public reserve.
The land at 36 Hibiscus Coast Highway (on the Silverdale Village side) was put up for sale by the former Rodney District Council and this process was carried forward by Auckland Council’s property CCO, Panuku Development Auckland, which earmarked it for disposal.
The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board identified the 0.8506ha site as a key piece of Silverdale’s open space network in its Silverdale Plan, and asked that the land be returned to the community.
Local board chair Julia Parfitt says the battle went on for a few years, and the local board was thrilled to hear recently that the land is to be transferred back to its Parks department.
At its meeting last month, the local board allocated $15,000 for the preparation of a landscape plan for the site. Actual work on the site will require funding from Council.
“The board hopes that when Council reviews its Long Term Plan next year, we will be able to move projects like this forward by attracting development contributions funding,” Mrs Parfitt says. “I understand the land was originally purchased for a reserve, and it’s a win for the local board to retain it,” she says. “There are a lot of Special Housing Areas in Silverdale and further growth contemplated in the proposed Unitary Plan, leading to pressure on green spaces. This piece of land lends itself to recreational activities such as picnicking or walking by the river.”
Once the land is transferred to the parks department, the responsibility for its maintenance will fall to Council contractors.
