Evidence of John Christopher Horne

Before a Board of Inquiry Transmission Gully Notices of Requirement and Consent Applications Under: The Resource Management Act 1991 In the matter of: Notices of requirement for designations and resource consent applications by the NZ Transport Agency, Porirua City Council and Transpower New Zealand Limited for the Transmission Gully Proposal Between: NZ Transport Agency Requiring Authority and Applicant And: Porirua City Council Local Authority and Applicant And: Transpower New Zealand Limited Applicant Evidence of John Christopher Horne _________________________________________________________________ QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 1. My name is John Christopher Horne. 2. I was asked to assess the potential effects of the proposal on recreational use in the area. I have restricted my consideration to use by walkers and runners, as I do not have relevant expertise in relation to mountain biking, kayaking, angling and other recreational uses. 3. I do not have a formal qualification relevant to this area of expertise. 4. I have extensive experience in undertaking and managing recreational activities in the area. I am involved in two organisations that provide support for recreational activities, the Tararua Tramping Club, and Wellington Botanical Society (WBS). 5. I have participated in WBS field trips in: • the bush block, Battle Hill Farm Forest Park • Cannons Creek Covenant, Belmont Regional Park/Waitangirua Farm. 6. I have led numerous tramps across Belmont Regional Park, between the Hutt Valley and Porirua Basin. Each of these traverses have involved crossing the Waitangirua Farm section of Belmont Regional Park, using one of the following routes across the designation for the proposed TGP: • Track over pasture from Cannons Head, 390 m, in the headwaters of Cannons Creek, to near Takapu Road sub-station, then on old farm road through regenerating forest to the west side of Cannons Creek Covenant, then on an old farm road to the Cannons Creek Lakes, and footpath to Warspite , Waitangirua. • Farm road over pasture from Round Knob, 410 m, steeply down into the saddle at the head of Duck Creek, around northeastern margin of Cannons Creek Covenant, on an old farm road to the Cannons Creek Lakes, and footpath to Warspite Avenue, Waitangirua. • Farm road over pasture from Waitangirua Farm airstrip steeply down to the true right of Duck Creek, then steeply up a farm track on the true left of Duck Creek, around the northeastern margin of Cannons Creek Covenant, then past the Cannons Creek Lakes on the footpath to Warspite Avenue, Waitangirua. 7. In the 1980s, I was a member of a club tramping party that tramped from SH1, south up “Te Puka Stream”, then down the Horokiri Valley in Transmission Gully, to Battle Hill Farm Forest Park. The extensive bush remnants on the steep- sided valley of deeply incised “Te Puka Stream” were a revelation to the members of the group, as were the wide-open spaces and amenity of the valley of Horokiri Stream. 8. On 31 March this year, I traversed Battle Hill Farm Forest Park from Paekākāriki Hill Road, across the Horokiri Valley, to Puketiro Forest and Moonshine Road. The peacefulness and visual amenity of this rural area, subject as it is to low- impact extensive pastoral farming, and Arbor Day revegetation in some of the wet areas, with a steep back-drop of plantation forest, gives walkers and runners a feeling of wide-open spaces in a peaceful setting. 9. I have prepared reports for relevant newsletters, magazines and journals on many of the above trips. 10. I also have a strong knowledge of botany, and have undertaken the following botanically-related work in the area, giving me an intimate knowledge of many parts of the area affected by the proposal. 10.1. Weed surveys for Greater Wellington Regional Council in the area, specifically: • Nikau Covenant, Belmont Regional Park/Waitangirua Farm, in a steep- sided true right tributary of Duck Creek. The covenant is centred on NZTopo50-BP32 Paraparaumu grid reference c. 58654256. • Cannons Creek Covenant, Belmont Regional Park/Waitangirua Farm, in a true right tributary of Cannons Creek. This forest remnant is managed by a community group, the Friends of Maara Roa, in conjunction with Greater Wellington Regional Council. 10.2. In 2008, I assisted with re-measuring the 20 m x 20 m permanent vegetation plot in the bush block, Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, on contract to Greater Wellington Regional Council. 10.3. In 2011, when on contract to Greater Wellington Regional Council, I was driven several times across Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, from the entrance on Paekākāriki Hill Road, across Horokiri Valley, up to Puketiro Forest, then north to Akatarawa Forest, to assist with re-measuring a 20 m x 20 m permanent vegetation plot. 11. As a result, I have a strong understanding of: • The recreational use made of the area • The needs of recreational users • The current bio-physical characteristics of the area and am therefore able to assess the ways in which changes to the area would impact on actual and potential recreational use. 12. I attended the information-sharing session for the terrestrial ecology caucus, giving me a clear picture of the likely changes to the area, and have read relevant parts of the application and related evidence. 13. I have read the Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses (March 2011) as contained in the Environment Court Consolidated Practice Note (2006), and I agree to comply with it. POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED TRANSMISSION GULLY EXPRESSWAY (TGP) Belmont Regional Park 14. TGP (most of which would be gazetted as motorway, preventing any pedestrian crossing of or use of the road) would traverse the three tracks which cross the park near Takapu Road sub-station, the saddle at the top of Duck Creek, and the bed of Duck Creek. These tracks are part of the network which enable trampers to cross from the Hutt Valley to the Porirua Basin. Tramps usually traverse between Manor Park Railway Station, or Petone Railway Station, to Paremata Railway Station, or Porirua Railway Station. These routes are therefore ideal for small groups that cannot arrange to have a vehicle transferred to the other end of the trip, groups with no vehicles, and groups that prefer to travel home by public transport, pleasantly tired after prolonged exercise, therefore preferring not to have to drive home. These long tramps, which last six to seven hours, give participants a deep sense of satisfaction at having traversed the high, rural, peneplain-remnant landscapes of Belmont Regional Park, from sea level, or near sea level, then back down to near sea level, in effect walking almost right across the Wellington peninsula, between its two scenic harbours. 15. Revegetation proposed within in the designation would mitigate, to a only minor extent, the severe adverse impacts on the rural ambience of the semi-wilderness of farm land and bush patches enjoyed by trampers and runners in the valley of deeply incised Duck Creek, and the headwaters of Cannons Creek. However, the severance of the park by an expressway would have severe adverse visual and noise impacts on the recreational experience now enjoyed by trampers and runners crossing the park. To minimise these impacts, and to enable trampers and runners to continue to cross the park, on the same lines as at present, the project would have to include the construction of footbridges, solely for use by walkers and runners over TGP, or pedestrian underpasses, solely for use by to walkers and runners, under TGP. Walkers and runners would not find it acceptable that the bridges, or underpasses, could be designed for use also by highway maintenance trucks, or other motor vehicles, and thus closed during road maintenance operations. 16. The GWRC Parks Network Plan envisages the retirement from farming of the headwaters of Cannons Creek. Construction, use, and maintenance of the proposed TGP would be negate the amenity, visual and recreational benefits to be derived from retirement and revegetation of this steep-sided catchment. Battle Hill Farm Forest Park 17. TGP would traverse the farm track, used by trampers and runners, that crosses the pasture on the broad, almost flat, valley floor of Horokiri Stream, then fords the stream, before climbing on a forestry road through the steep plantation forest that forms the eastern part of the park 18. Revegetation proposed within in the designation would mitigate, to only a minor extent, the severe adverse impacts on the amenity of the rural ambience of the farm land, wetlands, indigenous forest remnants, and plantation forest, enjoyed by trampers and runners in the valley of. Horokiri Stream. However, the severance of the park by an expressway would have severe adverse visual and noise impacts on the recreational experience now enjoyed by trampers and runners crossing the park. These impacts would shatter the sense of solitude and space so appreciated now by users of this part of the park. To minimise these impacts, and to enable trampers and runners to continue to cross the park, on the same line as at present, the project would have to include the construction of a footbridge, solely for use by walkers and runners over TGP, or a pedestrian underpass, solely for use by walkers and runners, under TGP. Walkers and runners would not find it acceptable that the bridge, or underpass, could be designed for used by logging trucks, and thus closed during logging operations. 19. Provisions for walking and tramping are embodied in the park’s management plan which states: “Providing recreational opportunities consistent with the primary recreational uses of experiencing a working productive farm, walking, tramping, … ” (Battle Hill Farm Forest Park Management Plan, page 6). Queen Elizabeth Park 20. Wainui Stream forms part of the southern boundary of the park.

Load more