My Summary of the TCC Open Space Strategy 2006

This is article #14 in my 16 part series summarising Tauranga City Council strategy documents.

Here is my summary of the Tauranga City Council Open Space Strategy 2006 (12 pages. 3.3Mb .pdf).

The key part of this strategy is the council’s minimum level of service of 3.45 hectares of reserve per thousand people, which is:

• 1.7ha/1000 active
• 1.7ha/1000 neighbourhood
• and 0.05ha/1000 community building reserve

And this target of “95% of urban residences in comprehensive development areas and residential intensification areas are required to be within 400 metres of open space and neighbourhood playgrounds.”

There are 5 key themes in this strategy:

1. Open Space Quantity
   • Keeping up with City growth
   • How much we have and how much we need to provide for current and future generations.
2. Open Space Quality
   • Making the most of what we have
   • How the quality of open space can support urban development and where quality can be improved to create good, safe open space environments.
3. Open Space Function
   • Having the right mix
   • The range of experiences and types of open space.  
4. Open Space Accessibility
   • Getting people there to use and enjoy
   • Ensuring that everyone is within reasonable walking distance to open space and are aware that the open space network exists.
5. Open Space Protection
   • Keeping it safe
   • Ensuring the protection and preservation of the open space network for existing and future generations to enjoy.
   • Outstanding district landscapes identified and protected:
     • Land surrounding Tauranga Harbour
     • Mauao, Mount Drury, Moturiki and Motuotau Islands  
     • The coastal edge of Tauranga airport
     • Matapihi peninsula (all land seaward of the Coastal Landscape Policy Area)
     • Maungatawa and Upuhue Hills
     • Papamoa coastal dunes
     • Otemataha
     • Waimapu Stream and marshlands and margins
     • Wairoa River and margins
     • Matua wetlands and margins
     • Tauranga Harbour

I also found this list of 11 types of open spaces quite interesting.

The 11 types of open spaces:

1. Premier Parks
   • We have just one at the moment: Memorial Park
   • A 2nd premier park is mentioned for Mount/Papamoa, but 10 years later I don’t think this has been built yet?
2. Heritage Parks
   • They are “of historic or cultural significance”. There are several throughout the city
3. Garden Parks
   • “Tauranga is now working towards the establishment of its first botanical garden”
   • Wow, this is behind schedule then since this document was published in 2006!
4. Habitat Retention and Enhancement
   • This includes streetscapes and water courses and talks about retaining animal and bird populations
5. The Greenbelt Zone in the District Plan
   • “Green corridors and gullies provide natural greenbelts and a natural flow of water to the harbour. They provide opportunities for walkway/cycleway linkages, visual separation between developed areas, and significant areas of amenity.
   • I found this sentence rather alarming: “Recently a number of subdivision developments have slowly eroded the amount of land included in the Greenbelt zone.”. We are 10 years on, so I hope that was sorted out
6. Esplanade Reserves
   • “Provide, restore and maintain continuous harbour margins that provide for public access and natural character.” And a width of 20m is mentioned
7. Buildings and Structures
   • “In some cases open space values are already compromised by the development of buildings and structures, inappropriate landscaping or poor design and layout.
8. Viewing Places
   • “The topography of Tauranga provides excellent opportunities for viewing significant landscapes such as the harbour, coastal and river areas and the urban environment.  In some cases open space has been created to primarily provide view shafts to these areas.”
9. Events
   • “Events ranging in scale from community events to major events such as the Easter Jazz Festival often take place in open space areas.  This adds to the diversity and use of the open space network.”
10. Urban spaces in the CBD, Town Centres and Neighbourhoods
    • “Open spaces can provide a social and physical focus for new and existing neighbourhoods, creating a sense of community and providing valuable linkages to other neighbourhoods and town centres.”
    • “The provision of quality open space within these areas create a hub for community activity and vibrancy while providing visual relief, or framing the built environment.”
11. Harbour/Coastal/River Parks
    • “Tauranga is fortunate to have harbour and coastal parks that provide access to the water and opportunities for passive recreation in a water based setting. “
    • “These include Tye Park, Rotary Park, Fergusson Park, Pilot Bay, Kulim Park and Marine Park.”

Your Thoughts?

What do you think of my notes? Anything that catches your eye? Have your say in the comment section below.