South Head Walkway Plan Prepared by Lois Easton Consulting Limited Adopted by Council November 2008 South Head Walkway Plan Executive Summary.........................................................................................3 1.0 Introduction ...........................................................................................4 2.0 Study Area ............................................................................................4 3.0 Background Information and Context....................................................6 3.1 National and Regional Policy .................................................................6 3.2 Local Policy .......................................................................................6 3.3 Current Walking Access ....................................................................7 4.0 Walkway Plan for South Head...............................................................8 4.1 Objectives for the Walkway Network ...................................................8 4.2 South Head Walkway Network Key Components...........................8 5 South Head Walkway Network Development Plan ..............................21 5.1 Walkway Network Hierarchy............................................................21 5.2 Walkway Development Plan............................................................22 5.3 South Head Walkway Network Approach Long Term Vision........23 Appendix One: Local Context ........................................................................24 Appendix Two: Unformed Paper Roads.........................................................30 Appendix Three: Summary of Consultation ...................................................37 Executive Summary The provision of more walking opportunities at South Head has been identified as an objective by the Rodney District Council and the community for a number of years. This South Head Walkway Plan explains how this objective could be achieved. An analysis of the study area, potential access destinations and constraints has been undertaken. From this objectives and suggestions for the development of a public access network at South Head have been developed. The objectives for the public access network are as follows: 1. To develop a walkway network for South Head which provides a range of opportunities for the public to experience the diversity of South Heads landscapes and natural values. 2. To ensure that the development and management of walkways in South Head is undertaken in such a way that significant natural values are protected, and where possible, enhanced. 3. To provide for a range of different types of walkways for different levels access (eg. Hard surface, soft surface bush walk, poled route) appropriate to the sensitivity of different environments. These objectives are supported by a number of key initiatives as outlined below: Providing improved walking access to lakes and wetlands Development of a coast to coast walkway via Te Rau Puriri Regional Park, Lake Ototoa Scenic Reserve and Woodhill Forest Providing more walking access points to the Kaipara Harbour Use of rangers and voluntary rangers to provide day to day oversight of the area Promoting some of the paper roads for walking access to reserves, waterways and the coast The Plan is a long term plan for the provision of walking opportunities at South Head, and it is envisaged that it would be implemented over a 10-20 year period. The Plan will be reviewed by Council in relation to new Long Term Community Plans three yearly cyclic review, or as may be required by Council resolution. 1.0 Introduction The provision of more walking opportunities at South Head has been identified by the Rodney District Council and the community for a number of years. The South Head Walkway Plan outlines existing walking routes and suggests additional walkway opportunities for residents of the local community and the wider district and region. Co-ordination of these walking routes with Auckland Regional Park and Department of Conservation networks is a key component of this Plan. The plan has been developed recognising a number of key issues around walkway provision in the South Head area. These include: Sensitive natural & ecological values; Ongoing use of many areas for agriculture and forestry; A variety of land tenure issues including paper roads and leased Crown land; Limited availability of funding from Rodney District Council for the development and maintenance of facilities; The current and ongoing use of parts of the area for other recreational uses and potential conflicts with walkway provision; The acquisition of land for a new Regional Park and the resultant likely increase in regional visitation and development of facilities associated with this park; The changing demographics of the local community in the South Head area, with increased numbers of lifestyle blocks and future expansion of nearby settlements at Parakai and Helensville. 2.0 Study Area The study area for this Walkway Plan encompasses South Head, as serviced by South Head Road and shown on Map 1. South Head runs approximately 50 kilometres along the western edge of the Kaipara Harbour in the west of the Rodney District. At the base of the peninsula is the Parakai village with Helensville the nearest township. South Head comprises a diverse range of landscape types and habitats from rolling farmland, to low lying wetland, mangroves, dunelands, lagoons, freshwater lakes, rocky shoreline, native bushland and plantation forest. Current public access to these areas varies and access to the harbour and western coastline is fairly limited. Boat launching facilities exist at Shelly Beach and at the Parakai and Helensville wharves. A key feature of South Head is Woodhill Forest a plantation forest which stretches along the length of the west coast of the peninsula from Muriwai to South Head. South Head Road services most of South Head and from it, a number of roads run towards each coastline. Some of these are unformed legal roads (paper roads). Until very recently the main economic activities on the peninsula were stock and crop farming and forestry. More recently lifestyle blocks have been developed including horticultural activities involving citrus, avocadoes and macadamias. Map One: South Head Walkway Plan Study Area 3.0 Background Information and Context 3.1 National and Regional Policy A range of statutes, national policies and standards provide context for the project including: New Zealand Walkways Act (1990) New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement New Zealand Access Strategy New Zealand Walkway Standards Regional Policy which provides a context for the plan includes: Auckland Regional Policy Statement Auckland Regional Plan: Coastal Auckland Region Open Space Strategy Auckland Region Walking Strategy A number of key points of relevance from these are highlighted here. South Head and the Kaipara Harbour are recognised as having regionally and nationally significant ecological values, particularly associated with the coast. Many areas are protected from modification, and access to the most significant of these areas should be restricted. The policy context supports proposals to extend the walkway network within South Head but this is within the constraints placed by the significant ecological values. A lower standard of facilities appropriate to a rural rather than urban or peri urban area are most appropriate within South Head. 3.2 Local Policy A wide range of Rodney District Policies and Strategies have relevance to the development of the South Head Walkway Plan. These include: Rodney District Walkways Strategy 1999 Rodney District Plan Key points which arise from the local policy context are as follows: Improved walking access to the Kaipara Harbour is seen as a desirable, with potential locations identified. Generally walkways should be directed towards areas where any negative impacts on the special values and character of South Head can be minimised. 3.3 Current Walking Access In terms of an established formal walking network, South Head has only a small number of walkways as follows: South Head carpark to the lagoon - a 2min walk from the carpark on Inland Road in Woodhill Forest. Mosquito Bay a 10 min steep path down to the beach. Limited carparking is provided at the end of South Head Road; Omokoiti an unformed walkway, partly through wetland, with low key pole signage, 40 mins to the beach. Lake Ototoa a 2 min soft pedestrian walkway to the edge of the lake Shelly Beach a 10 min paved walkway from the beach up to the park on James McLeod Road. Rimmer Road carpark to Muriwai Beach - a 10 min soft track walk from the carpark to the beach in Woodhill Forest 10 Mile carpark to Muriwai Beach a 10 min soft track walk to the beach in Woodhill Forest Parakai Domain informal walking access to the river Walkways at the Muriwai Regional Park Wilson Road to Te Oneone Rangatira Beach 4.0 Walkway Plan for South Head 4.1 Objectives for the Walkway Network 1. To develop a walkway network for South Head which provides a range of opportunities for the public to experience the diversity of South Heads landscapes and natural values. 2. To ensure that the development and management of walkways in South Head is undertaken in such a way that significant natural values are protected, and where possible, enhanced. 3. To provide for a range of different types of walkways for different levels of access (eg hard surface, soft surface bush walk, poled route) appropriate to the sensitivity of different environments.