Council manages 207 parcels of land in Moutere-Waimea Ward that have not yet been classified under the Reserves Act 1977.
We want to know your views on the proposed classification of these existing reserves.
Submissions on the proposals open on 20 November 2020 and close on 15 March 2021.
The Council administers 156 parks, reserves and open space areas within Moutere-Waimea Ward. Not all of these are formally protected as reserves under the Reserves Act 1977 (the Act) and only 40 parcels of land are formally classified under the Act. We need to classify the other reserves (207 parcels of land in total) before publicly notifying a draft Moutere-Waimea Ward Reserve Management Plan. This page sets out the details of what is proposed for each land area.
Submissions close on 15 March 2021.
Hard copies of the above documents are available for viewing at Council offices and libraries, along with a submission form.
Please tell us your thoughts on the proposals:
| Date | Task |
| 20 November 2020 | Open for submissions |
| 15 March 2021 | Deadline for submissions |
| Mid March 2021 | Council staff collate submissions and prepare report |
| 23 March 2021 | Hearing Panel holds hearing and deliberations |
| 20 May 2021 | Council meeting to decide on proposals |
| Late May 2021 | Notice submitted to NZ Gazette for publication |
We are seeking your views on proposals to classify reserves within Moutere-Waimea Ward. This consultation is being carried out in accordance with the provisions in Section 16 of the Reserves Act 1977.
We propose that Council-administered reserves in Moutere-Waimea Ward (207 separate land parcels in total) be classified as either: Scenic Reserve, Historic Reserve, Recreation Reserve or Local Purpose Reserve (of various purposes).
Completion of this administrative task will mean that each reserve will be assigned a specified type/class/purpose under the Act.
Find out more about each of the proposals to classify existing reserves within Moutere-Waimea Ward that we are consulting on:
All Council-administered parks and reserves located within Moutere-Waimea Ward are identified on a series of 34 maps:
The proposed classifications for reserves are noted in red handwriting on these maps.
We have identified 40 land parcels that have already been classified. These are noted on the maps in blue handwriting. Council is not proposing to alter these classifications. A list of classified reserves is provided under 'Further information' below.
Note that many of the mapped areas are not technically reserves (i.e. not subject to the Reserves Act 1977). There is no handwritten comment included alongside these areas. The Council is NOT proposing to formally protect these areas at this point in time, therefore no classifications are proposed for them. A list of these areas is provided under 'Further information' below.
Individual maps are also available on our project page (note that classification proposals are not listed on these maps):
Each classification has a different purpose, as outlined below.
| CLASSIFICATION | PURPOSE |
| Scenic Reserve A (Natural s.19(1)(a)) | Area of land (or land and water) possessing significant qualities of scenic interest or beauty or significant features or landscapes. |
| Scenic Reserve B (Modified s.19(1)(b)) | A suitable area of land (or land and water) which by development and the introduction of flora, whether indigenous or exotic, will become of significant scenic interest or beauty. |
| Historic Reserve | An area of land (or land and water) possessing places, objects and natural features as are of historic, archaeological, cultural, educational and other special interest. |
| Recreation Reserve | An area of land (or land and water) possessing open space, and outdoor recreational values especially suitable for recreation and sporting activities and the physical welfare and enjoyment of the public, and for the protection of the natural environment and beauty of the countryside, including recreational tracks in the countryside. |
| Local Purpose Reserve | An area of land (or land and water) suitable for a specified local educational or community purpose which does not duplicate any other reserve purpose. |
| Esplanade Reserve | A fixed linear area of riverbank, lakeshore or seashore of at least three metres or greater width (usually 20m) either in a natural or modified state available primarily for conservation and public access. |
We set aside land as reserves to ensure their control, management, development, use and preservation for appropriate purposes, for example recreation or historic values.
The Council proposes to classify existing reserves in Moutere-Waimea Ward.
When Council staff checked the certificates of title for properties managed as parks/reserves/open spaces within Moutere-Waimea Ward, they found that most of the properties were not classified. Several of the titles indicated that the intention was for properties to be managed as reserves, but it wasn't clear whether any of the properties qualified for automatic classification.
The classification determines the primary purpose of the reserve and provides some guidance on possible future uses and activities that may be appropriate on the reserve. The Reserves Act provides some rules to guide management for the different types of reserve particularly in relation to protection of the natural values, leasing and uses. These are then reflected in the policies and objectives for each reserve in the reserve management plan.
Advice has been provided by the Department of Conservation, who oversee the Reserves Act.
There's a legal process we have to go through before we decide whether to classify the existing reserves in Moutere-Waimea Ward.
First we publicly notify the proposals (on 20 November 2020) and contact organisations that we believe may be interested in the proposals. Submissions on the proposals may be made up until 15 March 2021.
Then we read through all the submissions and prepare a report with recommendations. The report will be presented to a Hearing Panel. The Hearing Panel will hold a hearing for submitters on 23 March 2021 who wish to speak to their submission and then deliberate on all submissions received.
A further report will then be considered by the full Council on 20 May 2021 on the Hearing Panel’s recommendations to classify reserves.
The reserve classification process is complete once notices reiterating the Council’s resolutions have been published in the New Zealand Gazette.
The process of classifying reserves is prescribed by Section 16 of the Reserves Act 1977. In addition, Sections 119 and 120 relate to notification and submissions.
Further information about the Moutere-Waimea Ward reserves projects currently underway is available on our project page:
We identified 40 parcels of land in the Ward that have already been classified under the Reserves Act. We are not proposing to alter these classifications.
A further 47 parcels of land in the Ward are managed by Council for park/reserve purposes, but are not subject to the Reserves Act. We are not proposing to declare these areas of land as reserve at this time.
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