Viewpoint – Check out the new park

As Christmas is fast approaching, the Council are forging ahead with the planning for when Dairy Flat is urbanised. 

However, there are many moving parts, and sometimes it isn’t easy to see the merits of the decisions being made. Firstly, the Council has recently pushed out the development of Dairy Flat until 2050. This is primarily due to the billions that are needed to fund the required infrastructure. The council has also deemed that the flood risks and land stability issues within the Dairy Flat future urban zone can be managed and that the area is suitable for urban development. Then, this week, Council planners presented an updated spatial land strategy for Dairy Flat, where they identified the future metropolitan centre for Dairy Flat and two smaller centres near Pine Valley Road. 

As a local board, we were concerned that the high-density housing was being proposed in the Dairy Flat stream flood zone area without any detailed investigation into managing the flood risks or geotechnical issues. This analysis will happen, but it will be part of the structure planning, that won’t start for decades. 

At the same time, route protection is continuing for 13 individual transport projects that form part of the integrated transport network for when Dairy Flat is urbanised with the lodging of the Notice of Requirements with Auckland Council (HM November 13). There is no funding for any of these projects, with the most controversial one being the location of rapid transport network through Dairy Flat. Submissions will be heard by independent commissions not council, feedback closes on December 14, 2023 which is not ideal timing for busy families impacted by these NORs. For further information on NORs and to provide feedback please refer to the Council website www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/

I am concerned that with all the planning for the urbanisation of Dairy Flat, we are not looking for the most climate-resilient areas to build the future high-density housing, town centres, community facilities, schools and integrated transport networks. With climate change, there is a real risk of planning so far in future, making critical decisions, and spending millions without doing a complete analysis. We have time now to do this, as development won’t start until 2050, and we need to get this right.

On another note, after years of planning, Council is in the process of installing a small car park and bollards to direct park users around our 154 hectare park at Green Road, Dairy Flat. This park is largely farmland with rolling meadows and even a waterfall. The Council’s farming unit is now managing the farm, and while much of the farm infrastructure is run down, the broken fences are slowly being replaced.

Our vision has always been to create a rural Cornwall Park of the North Shore. There is a long way to go and if you are visiting the park it is very similar to a DOC walk where you need good shoes; there is no park infrastructure at this stage such as toilets or even rubbish bins. We have recently formed a Friends of Green Road Park – we held an initial working group meeting in October and had great representatives from across the community. In November, the ‘Friends of Green Road Park’ had a site visit and walked over the park, which took a couple of hours, and we only covered half of it as it is so vast.

As part of the offset environmental mitigations for Penlink, thousands of trees are being planted around the different diverse ecosystems within the park. The Green Road Park project is very exciting. It is a hidden gem and will become a destination park for everyone. Our master plan for Green Road Park is on the council website.

Please get in contact if you have any questions, need further information, or want to become part of the Green Road Park friends group. Wishing everybody a very Merry Christmas and happy 2024.