Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA Purpose Terms of Reference Content This document provides The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Design Guidelines cover all 01 Introduction Auckland Transport works, including routine and emergency maintenance and repairs designers and project and upgrades, that have the potential to adversely affect the Background 28 managers with guidance Act’s objectives or could help to implement them, for example by on principles and practices restoring or enhancing landscape character. This includes footpaths, 02 The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area of road corridor design and kerb and channel and other stormwater management structures, management that help to retaining walls/structures, signage, safety/crash barriers and traffic Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, meet the requirements of the calming measures. This guide covers the use of vegetation as it Section 8 Heritage Area Objectives 28 Waitakere Ranges Heritage impacts on the landscape of the area, but it does not cover operating Designing car optional places 30 Area Act, 2008 (the Act). procedures relating to the management of vegetation and weeds. Local Area Plans (LAPs) 32 03 Auckland Transport’s principles 04 Design Guidelines Are ‘Improvements’ Required? 102 Multidisciplinary Teams 108 Consultation 112 Landscape 114 Vegetation Management 114 Road Design 114 Sealed and Unsealed Surfacing 114 Footpaths 114 Safety and Speed Management 114 Signs and Road Markings 114 Lighting 114 Street Furniture 114 Safety Barriers 114 Structures (Bridges and Retaining Walls) 114 Stormwater 114 2 WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA 3 01 Introduction 02 The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Auckland Transport recognises the national significance of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area The national, regional and local significance of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area (WHRA) has been (WRHA) and is committed to ensuring that Auckland Transport projects within the area show respect recognised by the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, which seeks to promote the protection for the heritage features of the area. and enhancement of the heritage features of the area for present and future generations. • This guide has been produced to help Background The heritage features include: Auckland Transport staff when they design • The terrestrial and aquatic and deliver projects within the Waitakere The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area 2008 ecosystems of prominent Ranges Heritage Area (WRHA). Act recognises that an important feature of the indigenous character heritage area is the subservience of the built • This guide establishes a set of principles • The different classes environment to the area’s natural and rural that recognises the specific character of of natural landforms landscape. However, The Waitakere Ranges the WRHA. and landscapes Heritage Area Monitoring Report (2013) (the • This guide shows how road safety can monitoring report) highlighted the impact that • The coastal areas be improved within the WRHA without urban-style road corridor design was having on • The natural functioning detrimental impact upon the local character. the landscape of the WRHA and recommended streams of the • This guide supports the existing Auckland that the design specifications for infrastructure in eastern foothills Transport Urban Design Principles and the road corridor in the WRHA be reconsidered. • The quietness and darkness Auckland Transport Code of Practice to of the Waitakere Ranges and promote outcomes that are appropriate to This design guide provides a set of principles coastal parts of the area this exceptional location. and associated guidance to Auckland Transport designers and project managers to help them • The visual backdrop to the By taking note of the principles established in ensure that: Auckland Metropolitan Area this guide, Auckland Transport will be able to • All outcomes are appropriate to this • The WRHA’s wilderness promote schemes that recognise and respect significant location. experience and recreational the heritage features of the area, yet still deliver opportunities routes and connections that are safe and • The built environment remains subservient to convenient for all users. the natural and rural landscape. • The eastern foothills. 4 WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA 5 WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA Further details are available at: http://www.aucklandcouncil. • to manage aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/heritage/Documents/ in the area to protect and enhance indigenous guideheritagefeatures.pdf habitat, landscape and amenity values; The Act requires that effect must be given to its purpose and the • to recognise that people live and work in the area in distinct relevant objectives when preparing or reviewing a district plan, communities, and to enable those people to provide for their regional policy statement or regional plan that affects the heritage social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing; area, or when considering an application for resource consent for a • to provide for future uses of rural land in order discretionary or non-complying activity in the heritage area. to retain a rural character in the area; While not explicit in the legislation, Auckland Transport considers • to protect those features of the area that relate to that it is also appropriate to ensure that, within the heritage area, its water catchment and supply functions; the Codes of Practice are interpreted in a way that promotes • to protect the natural and historic resources of the Waitakere outcomes in keeping with the character of the area. Ranges Regional Park in perpetuity for their intrinsic worth and for the benefit, use, and enjoyment of the people and Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, communities of the Auckland region and New Zealand. Section 8 Heritage Area Objectives The objectives of establishing and maintaining the heritage area are: Local Area Plans (LAPs) • to protect, restore, and enhance the The Act provides for the preparation and adoption of Local Area area and its heritage features; Plans (LAPs) by Auckland Council. LAPs under the Act describe • to ensure that impacts on the area as a whole are considered the character and amenity of the area they cover. Developed by when decisions are made that affect any part of it; Auckland Council and by working with the community, they identify • to adopt the following approach when considering decisions that what the community values. threaten serious or irreversible damage to a heritage feature; There are currently five LAPs, covering the areas of: o carefully consider the risks and uncertainties • Oratia, Waiatarua, associated with any particular course of action; • Henderson Valley/Opanuku, o take into account the best information available; and • Muddy Creeks (Laingholm, Parau, Woodlands Park and Waima), o endeavour to protect the heritage feature; • Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and • to recognise and avoid potentially or cumulatively • the Waitakere River Valley. adverse, effects of activities on the area’s environment The LAPs should be consulted when making transport decisions (including its amenity) or its heritage features; that may impact on the character and amenity of these areas. • to recognise that, in protecting the heritage features, the area has little capacity to absorb further subdivision; Project teams should consult the Waitakere Ranges Foothills Design Guide in the development of schemes. • to ensure that any subdivision or development in the area, of itself or in respect of its cumulative effect o is of an appropriate character, scale, and intensity; o does not adversely affect the heritage features; and o does not contribute to urban sprawl; • to maintain the quality and diversity of landscapes in the area by o protecting landscapes of local, regional, or national significance; o restoring and enhancing degraded landscapes; and o managing change within a landscape in an integrated way, including managing change in a rural landscape to retain a rural character; 6 WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA 7 WAITAKERE RANGES HERITAGE AREA To carefully consider whether ‘improvements’ PRINCIPLE 1 are required for all projects. Encourage and test innovative approaches and make full use of the flexibility in national regulations, PRINCIPLE 2 standards and codes of practice to promote outcomes that are appropriate to the WRHA. Do not restrict a scheme to the use of standard urban infrastructure and consider the use of more PRINCIPLE 3 appropriate alternatives, including bespoke ones, even if these bring additional capital or operational cost. For significant projects, form a multidisciplinary PRINCIPLE 4 project team who can ensure understanding and demonstration of all of the design guide principles. Ensure that traffic speeds are slowed PRINCIPLE 5 to be appropriate to the WRHA. Maintain the existing overall informal character of the road corridors both within villages and the Auckland Transport’s principles for wider WRHA. The retention and restoration of PRINCIPLE 6 03 the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area vegetation as green infrastructure is a significant tool and adds both to the informal character and the environmental capacity of the design. In line with the findings of the monitoring report, Auckland Transport recognises that Where possible, use local materials that PRINCIPLE 7 3 incremental minor alterations to roads, sit comfortably within the WRHA. 2 4 footpaths, signage and other features within Auckland Transport’s control