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Ngāti Manuhiri vested about 154 hectares of prime coastal land to Auckland Council last month to enlarge Te Ārai Regional Park.
Mayor Phil Goff says the vesting of the land will make a fantastic addition to Auckland’s “world-class” parks network.
“It will form part of a more extensive area of parkland and open space and provide for a range of recreational activities such as picnicking, walking, swimming and surfing,” he says.
“It’s important that we protect public open space in our fast-growing region and this new addition to our parks network will be enjoyed by Aucklanders for generations to come.”
Works on the land in preparation for vesting included removal of production pine trees, grading a carpark, forming pedestrian accessways and restoring dunes with extensive areas of native revegetation planting.
In addition to the recreational benefits, the land also contains high biodiversity, ecological and cultural heritage values.
Council manager for parks, sport and recreation Mace Ward says in exchange for the parkland, the subdivision of 60 rural residential sites has been allowed.
“The vesting of the regional parkland provides a significant opportunity for Ngāti Manuhiri to develop the balance of the site for housing, recreational activities, such as golf courses, and sand mining activity,” he says.
Mr Ward says the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust will continue to be a partner with Council to contribute to how the park will be developed and protected.
“The Te Ārai parkland is still a taonga and will remain a significant part of the rohe of Ngāti Manuhiri,” Mr Ward says.
