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Fig 01 Panoramic view looking west showing Three Kings Road (later Road, foreground) and part of the Three Kings mountains (J Richardson, 1920), Sir George Grey Special Collections, Libraries, ID 4-4230/4231

LIVING AROUND TE TĀTUA A RIUKIUTA

Landscape rehabilitation and urban redevelopment of Three Kings

Richard Reid from Richard Reid & Our involvement with this project began The local area is strongly defined by Associates Citymakers outlines two different in May 2015 when we were engaged by two Te Tātua a Riukiuta, including the historic approaches for landscape rehabilitation and community groups to assess a proposed arrangement of streets. As early as 1860, urban redevelopment of Three Kings Quarry, plan change by Fletcher Residential for a city plan showed Mt Eden Road aligned Auckland. redevelopment of Three Kings Quarry. Our on the centre of Te Tātua a Riukiuta and expertise was sought by the South Epsom Maungawhau, creating a grand landscape Planning Group and Three Kings United and urban axis between the two volcanoes. Group who were aware of our local work No two other volcanoes were embedded in on Puketapapa Mt Roskill Volcano and the the city plan in this way (Fig 02). Basin Reserve Roundabout in Wellington. On the same plan, four boundary roads formed a near-perfect square frame around Te Tātua a Riukiuta and the City Plan Te Tātua a Riukiuta, with the alignment of Mt Eden Road incorporated into the Three Kings Quarry is situated within symmetrical structure. A square frame is an the Three Kings suburb of Auckland. Both unusual typology in Auckland’s early and quarry and suburb took their name from Three ongoing city planning. It demonstrated that a Kings Volcano which is an outstanding natural high level planning order was overlaid on the feature of the area. The volcano is considered volcanic complex which accommodated geologically and scientifically valuable for its its distinctive size and features. original mix of five, not three cones, The scale of this order is usually seen numerous scoria mounds and a lava lake in the planning of imperial cities such as ‘nested’ inside a one kilometre diameter tuff Beijing which are planned to align a ‘divine’ ring. The whole feature was called by Maori Te organisation of human settlement with an Tātua a Riukiuta, the belt of Riukiuta (Fig 01). auspicious natural landscape, typically

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Fig 02 Map of Eden County (c.1900), Sir George Grey Special Collections, , ID 7-A14275 (Te Tātua a Riukiuta and Maungawhau highlighted by RRA) Fig 03 Te Tātua a Riukiuta tuff ring encircles Three Kings Quarry, Reserve and Suburb: Town Centre (foreground), Three Kings Reserve (south and west of quarry), Big King Reserve (north-west of quarry) and Mt Eden Road (to the north). Photo: www.wildearthmedia.com, 2009 Fig 04 Panorama view showing Three Kings Quarry (foreground), Big King (middle background), Te Tātua a Riukiuta tuff ring (right background), Three Kings Reserve adjoining the quarry (left foreground and background), Three Kings Town Centre (out-of-view to the left) (RRA, 2015)

mountains. These cities also have a rich suburb is subtle and has largely gone been replaced by the scale, shape and depth hierarchy of spatial definition from their unnoticed. The city remains poorly informed of Three Kings Quarry. centre outwards which is articulated by a as to the value of early city plans and the series of nested structures (buildings inside recognition of what they originally related to Fletcher’s plans for Three Kings Quarry courtyards inside compounds inside city and provided for. walls). Since the late 1800’s, regulatory In 2011 the Environment Court granted The streets inside the square frame authorities have enabled quarrying of Te Winstone Aggregates, a division of Fletcher, also reflect this. Beginning in the 1890’s, Tātua a Riukiuta at the expense of its the right to clean-fill the 15.1 hectare quarry. the street system pushed inside the frame physical integrity, landscape prominence The Court’s consent conditions set out a and bifurcated around the scoria cones. and complementary relationship with the process by which the final fill levels could The streets on the western side took their city plan. The volcano has been divided rehabilitate the 25-40m deep hole and line from the circular structure and radial along property lines and significantly integrate the site with Big King, Three arrangement of the volcano’s features, compromised as a result (Fig 03). Four of Kings Reserve, adjacent properties and fitting between or around the cones, the the scoria cones have been quarried away, surrounding streets. Engineering drawings crusted ‘lip’ of the lava lake and the walls leaving only Big King, the second highest, as referenced by the Court showed the of the tuff ring. Even plots of land for state the most visible and recognisable remnant. quarry filled close to adjoining ground housing in the 1940-50’s were uniquely Te Tātua a Riukiuta now chiefly refers to levels which also remedied the worst effects proportioned to maintain the legibility of the this one remaining cone (Fig 04). While the from quarrying. Winstone Aggregates and volcano. circularity of the tuff ring is still imprinted on the two community groups supported the The order evident in the planning of the the suburb, the centrality of the volcano has Court’s decision.

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Fig 05a Fletcher PC372 Masterplan 17H1 (May 2015)

Fig 05b Masterplan 17H1 – Proposed landform viewed from north-east (3D model by RRA)

In late 2014, Fletcher Residential applied of the suburb in partnership with mana quarry by itself was too restrictive for traffic to rezone the quarry for residential whenua, major landowners (including distribution, too constraining for recreational development. Fletcher submitted two Fletcher), the local community and other open space and too remote from the Three private plan changes for public feedback. stakeholders called the ‘Three Kings Plan’ Kings Town Centre and surrounding open Both finished the fill levels of the quarry which was based upon a presumption space network. At the same time, Fletcher 15-17 metres below street level, principally the quarry would be filled to street level. and considered to shorten the lead-in time for construction Private Plan Change 373 (PC373) Three Kings Reserve was compromised of dwellings. The significant change in final sought rezoning of the quarry. PC372 by past quarrying and suffered from fill level conflicted with the expectations included rezoning 6.5ha of Three poor connectivity, amenity and safety. of the local community and Puketapapa Kings Reserve adjacent to the quarry. Council supported Fletcher’s application Local Board (PLB). PLB had prepared a Fletcher chose to progress PC372 (Fig. 05a) for a public land exchange because it thirty year strategic guide for development after determining that development of the considered an “integrated comprehensive

3 Fig 06a RRA Development Plan

Fig 06b RRA Development Plan – Proposed landform viewed from north-east (3D model by RRA)

development” could maximise residential majority of submitters opposed both the Each application needed to be assessed intensification and increase recreational open plan change and land exchange. PLB against different legislation: the plan change space adjacent to the emergent Three Kings considered PC372 failed to involve the in relation to the Operative Auckland City Town Centre. These were cited as two key Local Board; meet the long term planning District Plan, the land exchange chiefly objectives of ‘The Auckland Plan’, Council’s objectives of the ‘Three Kings Plan’ under the Reserves Act and the precinct long-term, overarching spatial plan to ensure including rehabilitation of the landscape; rezoning as part of a special statutory Auckland grows in a way that will meet the provide land equity; and adequately process for the Unitary Plan. opportunities and challenges of the future. consider alternative options. All three applications were subsequently A third application by Fletcher for approved, with only one design change Opposition to Plan Change 372 PC372 to become a special precinct in the from the land exchange decision which Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan further required the removal of 15 terrace houses PLB, the two community groups and a complicated the process. from the north-western area of Three Kings

4 Fig 07a Fletcher PC372 Masterplan 17H1 – Proposed Zoning (west-east cross-section)

Fig 07b RRA Development Plan – Proposed Zoning (west-east cross-section)

Reserve. The two community groups Fletcher and the community groups chose whole northern half of the quarry to be filled appealed to the Environment and High to settle the legal impasse out-of-court in with up-to-five-storey buildings which would Courts on the plan change and Unitary Plan June 2017, the outcome of which will be block these potential views (Fig 07a). decisions, with the Government of the time discussed in the Conclusion. Reid and 4. The Masterplan treated Big King as a joining the legal proceedings in support of McCredie’s evidence and Reid’s alternative background feature and retained the Fletcher. proposal are now the focus of this paper. quarry access road’s severe cut into its Richard Reid was engaged either eastern face. Prominent volcanic features by the community groups or PLB to Critique of Fletcher Masterplans 2 left from past quarrying of the other scoria provide landscape and urban design cones were proposed to be removed, evidence through the three processes. At the Reid and McCredie’s evidence stated: concealed or significantly modified. same time, Richard Reid & Associates (RRA) 5. The location and amount of open space was commissioned by PLB to develop an 1. Fletcher’s decision to set the quarry’s final did not contribute to the enhancement of alternative Masterplan aligned with the ‘Three fill level 15-17 metres below Mt Eden Big King or future-proof Council’s significant Kings Plan’ for public consultation. 1 Reid Road fundamentally compromised the recreational open space needs for the wider was accompanied in the Environment Court development’s ability to integrate with Big area (Fig 08a,c). by Jan McCredie, one of Australasia’s King, Three Kings Reserve, the Town Centre 6. The existing open space was re-oriented foremost urban designers, who also peer and surrounding streets, as well as provide in an east-west direction, swinging the focus reviewed the RRA Development Plan. easy access and a walkable neighbourhood. away from Big King and its landscape In short, the Environment Court preferred 2. Fletcher’s Masterplan required significant extension to the south (Fig 04, 05a). Reid and McCredie’s evidence on PC372’s excavation of the existing quarry walls and 7. Fletcher argued its residential re-zoning poor connectivity and integration with Three Kings Reserve (c.680,000 tonnes) of the south-western area of Three Kings the surrounding neighbourhood and in an in order to make access to the quarry floor Reserve was to improve passive interim decision required Fletcher to review viable and enable apartment buildings to be surveillance and public safety, yet little thirteen key aspects of its Masterplan. The built around its edges (Fig 05b). evidence of social problems was presented Court’s findings countered the Unitary Plan 3. Fletcher and Council argued the lower to warrant this privatisation of public space. decision which sought no changes to the fill level would expose more of Big King to 8. The Masterplan arranged ten 9-10 Masterplan. view yet the proposed zoning enabled the storey apartment buildings around the

5 eastern and southern sides of the quarry, by Fletcher or investigated by Auckland The fundamental features of the RRA despite the relevant District Plan residential Council which sought to combine Concept Masterplan aligned with the key zoning enabling 4 storeys. Fletcher used the residential intensification with a higher fill objectives of PLB’s ‘Three Kings Plan’. It 15-17m lower fill level to hide the bottom level and large recreational open space also brought other major landowners into 5-6 storeys from Mt Eden Road, adjacent to Big King. Yet the public land the frame who may wish to redevelop their exposing the full height of the buildings to exchange with Fletcher placed an onus on properties. Big King. In total length, the apartment Auckland Council to consider this approach, buildings stretched over 750metres around espcially when the land exchange was RRA Development Plan the site, creating a monumental wall deemed inequitable by PLB and the local competing with Big King in scale and visual community. Puketapapa Local Board (PLB) engaged dominance. RRA to develop the Concept Masterplan in 9. Yet the apartment buildings’ location Alternative Concept Masterplan by RRA two stages between June 2015 and May against the quarry walls significantly reduced 2016. The first stage translated it into the their potential housing yield. A typical Richard Reid submitted an alternative graphic language used by the ‘Three Kings cross-section showed apartments on only Concept Masterplan as part of his Plan’ and correlated its outcomes with the one side of seven of the building’s ten assessment of PC372 in May 2015. Plan’s five key moves. The second stage storeys, with carparking sharing six of The RRA Concept Masterplan applied required the Masterplan to be developed the floors. This is an extremely inefficient a methodology the Environment Court had to a detailed level in which fill levels, open typology and a prime reason for Fletcher proposed to Winstone Aggregates in 2011 space areas and housing yields could needing public land to increase the yield of for investigating how the quarry could be measured. In summary, the RRA 1200 dwellings it cited in the Environment integrate with its surrounds. This required Development Plan (Fig 06a,b): Court. The above-ground car parking also analysis of a much wider context than added substantially to the bulk and cost of PC372 provided, which in turn enabled 1. Established that higher fill levels were the buildings. different insights into how an “integrated needed to integrate the quarry with Big King, 10. An excessive amount of land, 4.59 comprehensive development” could be Three Kings Reserve and the surrounding ha, was dedicated to roading due to the achieved. The RRA Concept Masterplan neighbourhood as well as to remedy past circuitous routes down into the quarry and had three main points of difference from abuses from quarrying. The higher fill level an inefficient street pattern (Fig 09a,b). Fletcher’s Masterplan. significantly enhanced Big King without 11. The convoluted street pattern was Firstly, it designated a significant area needing to modify the cone itself. reflected in the shape of many buildings. of open space alongside Big King to 2. Raised the ground level of Three Kings Their irregular curvature would create a provide an appropriate curtilage and spatial Reserve between the Town Centre and high number of bespoke building elements, setting for Big King, which also future- the quarry by 8 metres in conjunction with inefficient use of materials and wasted proofed recreational needs (Fig 07b, 08b,10). raising the fill level of the quarry. This space. These inefficiencies further reduced Secondly, it connected the western and significantly reduced the 17 metre the potential housing yield. eastern sides of the Three Kings suburb level difference and transformed the 12. The convoluted street pattern and together for the first time by joining their weakest part of the reserve into the critical termination of streets by buildings separate street systems (Fig 09b,c). This join between all areas. increased the inward focus and perceived could principally be achieved by re-routing 3. Shaped the clean-fill to give the density of the development rather than Smallfield Ave through three Housing New impression it had been carved into an visually connecting people with Big Zealand properties and a Council Parks existing landform. Reference points were King and other green open spaces. Depot site to link up with Grahame Breed the depressed sports fields around 13. Few street pedestrian access points Drive. The subsequent extension of the Pukekaroro in Auckland Domain into the 21.6 hectares site were provided. western side’s radial street pattern through and the raised earth-shaped stadium beside These were distant from one another and the the Town Centre and Fletcher’s property Mt Kronos at Olympia in ancient Greece. abrupt level changes reinforced the depth would fulfil the ultimate goal of the ‘Three 4. Planned the development to fit within the of the final fill level and its separation Kings Plan’ to “Develop a sense of local remnant volcanic landscape, not the quarry. from the surrounding street network. character and identity around the presence The Fyvie Ave, Barrister Ave and Grahame 14. The lower fill level, limited entry of Te Tātua a Riukiuta”. Breed Drive bluffs were used as markers to points, circuitous roading and wall-effect Thirdly, the RRA Concept Masterplan frame open space and define the location for of the apartment buildings isolated the re-visioned the development potential of buildings. development from the Town Centre and the privately-owned Town Centre and 5. Extended the neighbourhood street neighbourhood, effectively creating a ‘gated’ adjacent Housing NZ land to maximise grid pattern over Fletcher’s land and the community within. business and street activities, residential Town Centre with a street block size linked 15. No alternative plan was developed intensification and urban porosity (Fig 09c). to a conventional apartment building

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a Existing b RRA Development Plan c Fletcher Masterplan 18H1

Fig 08 Open Space Analysis (Big King with contours; public reserves in green)

typology (Fig 06a, 09c). Pedestrian pathways which In contrast, Fletcher’s need to further 6. Provided free-standing medium- followed existing desire lines and excavate the quarry and Three Kings density housing of mainly five storeys avoided conflict with traffic. Reserve was a cost associated with height, with carparking in basements to preparation of the area for residential reduce the fill needed. These outcomes demonstrate that the development, not rehabilitation. The lower 7. Integrated all components of the RRA Development Plan’s compact urban fill level also required use of the new sports Three Kings suburb by building upon the form is much more efficient and productive fields for retention of surface flooding during underlying structure of the volcanic than PC372. It achieves a similar number of 100 year storm events, a potential loss of landscape and historic city plan. dwellings without needing public land for public amenity considering the uncertain housing or creating adverse effects on frequency of these weather events. Comparison of outcomes the environment and neighbourhood. It also resolves the planning problems that Environment Court recommendations The RRA Development Plan provided: dissuaded Fletcher from developing only its land (see page 3). The higher fill levels Although the Environment Court preferred Up to 1200 dwellings, 3 the same for the quarry and lower reserve establish Reid and McCredie’s evidence on PC372’s yield Fletcher nominated for PC372. a continuous ground surface, making for poor connectivity and integration with the However, RRA’s dwellings covered a more accessible, liveable and cohesive surrounding neighbourhood, it recommended only half of Fletcher’s property and suburb (Fig 06b, 10). an approach different from those proposed only one third of the plan change The amount of time required to fill or tested by the conflicting parties. area. The RRA yield also excluded to the RRA Development Plan’s levels, The Court supported the south- residential redevelopment of the based upon a realistic filling rate, would western area of Three Kings Reserve and Town Centre and adjacent HNZ take one year and ten months longer than two volcanic bluffs being protected from properties the Masterplan Fletcher gained resource residential development. This reduced Over 1,000m² of private communal consent for in November 2015, Fletcher’s yield by 58 dwellings. It also space for each apartment building according to the community groups’ civil directed an 8m higher ground level for the against none provided by PC372 engineer Garry Law (55 months vs 33 reserve land below the Town Centre and a 4 Nearly double the amount of public months). Yet the RRA Development 4m higher level for the new sports fields, open space compared to PC372 Plan’s levels are still well below those as specified in the RRA Plan. However, the Three additional playing fields originally agreed by Fletcher for Court also supported Fletcher’s lower fill versus Fletcher’s one rehabilitation of the quarry in 2011. Mr Law level in the northern half of the quarry and Under half the road area of PC372 also considered there was no difficulty in their arrangement of streets and buildings. Seven traffic dispersal points to the servicing the RRA Development Plan for The Court’s directive left a substantial part surrounding streets compared to stormwater and wastewater, an analysis of the development within a deep hole in the PC372’s three (Fig 09) confirmed by Fletcher. ground. The Court appeared to prioritise

7 a Fletcher Masterplan 17H1 b Existing c RRA Development Plan

Fig 09 Street Network

connection of the southern part of the sacrificed for inconsequential housing Although the RRA Plan specifies a development with the Town Centre rather opportunities. 5 higher fill level at the northern end of the than achieving integration across the whole In Reid and McCredie’s opinion, the quarry, there cannot be too much time area, a holistic outcome which both the 2011 intrinsic problems associated with Fletcher’s difference between filling to this level versus clean-fill decision and PLB’s ‘Three Kings fill levels and street network will not be able the new levels proposed by the Court as Plan’ had focused on. to be remedied over time. Nor will the new well as the time Fletcher needs for further In this respect, the Court’s view that plan respect or enhance Big King. Most of regulatory processes. This apparently will PC372 fitted with the key objectives of the issues raised in Reid and McCredie’s involve a new plan change and another PLB’s ‘Three Kings Plan’ sat uncomfortably critique of PC372 remain. Judged against public land exchange to help increase with PLB’s public rejection of PC372 for not the principles of the ‘Three Kings Plan’ and Fletcher’s housing yield. Redevelopment taking account of substantial aspects of the priorities of ‘The Auckland Plan’, a quality of the exchanged site, the Council Parks its plan, including a failure to integrate the compact environment will not be achieved. Depot area, would permanently block development with the wider local area. The development does not maximise Reid’s proposed unification of the local street The Masterplan’s use of a large-scale, the efficient use of existing land for urban network around Big King, a more land-hungry suburban typology was development; provide greater preservation equitable social and environmental outcome. also the antithesis of the fine-grained, of natural environmental qualities through Jan McCredie concluded in her evidence: inter-connected street grid plan favoured a reduced urban footprint; reinforce and in the ‘Three Kings Plan’. The RRA enhance local character, identity and “Urban areas require more than Development Plan had adopted this pattern heritage; significantly increase or enhance intensification. An urban city is because it was a logical extension of the local amenities; and enable good accessibility. not a suburban city with bigger neighbouring street network and would This lack of understanding of good urban buildings. The public domain is facilitate easy pedestrian movement to the outcomes seems reflective of the whole critically important and great Town Centre, community facilities, public process. The result is poor and fails to care needs to be taken as to how transport and open space. capitalise on the opportunity to build an the streets and built fabric are examplar urban development that ensures organised relative to the landform landscape rehabilitation and residential when people are located close Conclusion intensification. The housing yield in the RRA together, are less car dependent Negotiations between Fletcher and the Development Plan now appears substantially and using public transport. ‘Urban’ community groups post-court continued greater than the revised Fletcher Masterplan. is a different model and has to be to weaken this compromised arrangement The differential of c.170 dwellings is unlikely considered in the long term and further reduced the housing yield by c. to change given that increases in height framework of a city and how a city another 110 dwellings. Precious areas of the levels along Mt Eden Road agreed by changes. The approach must be volcanic landscape, like the Grahame Breed the Court could equally be applied to the holistic. Drive volcanic bluff, have been unnecessarily RRA Plan.

8 Fig 10 RRA Development Plan – New landform viewed from the Town Centre

Re-development of Auckland or any Masterplan 15-H1 was submitted with The author city undergoing change should not PC372 in November 2014. Masterplan be by a ‘site by site’ approach. All 17-H1, re-presented by RRA here, was Richard Reid is an architect, landscape avenues should be kept open so the submitted by Fletcher for the plan change architect, urban designer and transport best outcome can be developed. hearing in May 2015. planner with thirty years professional The RRA design does precisely 3. The yield is calculated using an average experience. Richard has worked with this. It enables the possibility over floor space area for apartments which can vary nationally and internationally recognised time for an integrated outcome that depending upon the mix of apartment sizes design practices in Sydney (Neville Gruzman) celebrates the Maunga and creates a wanted. A range of yields was calculated and London (Sir Colin St John Wilson). cohesive, urban, memorable place.” by Jan McCredie, an expert urban designer Richard is director of Richard Reid & from Sydney, based upon different average Associates Citymakers, a multi-disciplinary floor space areas. The methodology used is design practice based in Auckland. Over the Endnotes standard practice in NSW for assessing the past twenty years, the practice has focused development capacity of building envelopes. on large-scale infrastructure projects and 1. Our design was commissioned by It is derived from tested assumptions over their integration with local communities and Puketapapa Local Board and submitted many projects and delivers a high level of sensitive urban/natural environments. to the Environment Court on behalf of two accuracy. community groups to highlight key 4. Mr Law’s evidence to the Environment All drawings in this article were prepared outcomes neccessary for successful Court estimated and commented upon the for RRA by Richard Reid and Carlos intensification of the area: integration of respective fill volume, rate and time Charlton except Fig 5a and 6a by Richard the final quarry landform and residential differences between the Fletcher, RRA and Reid and Yiqiu Hong. Drawings of Fletcher’s development with the volcanic landscape, 2011 (EC214) proposals. Masterplans were prepared by RRA Town Centre, open space network and 5. The author’s involvement with this using information published by Fletcher neighbourhood; provision of more open project lasted from May 2015 until Residential. The RRA Development Plan and space to enhance Tātua a Riukiuta and the completion of an Environment Court RRA drawings are protected by copyright. recreational activities; and revitalisation of hearing in May 2016. He has had no the Town Centre. further involvement with the project or © RRA Ltd May 2018. All rights reserved. 2. Fletcher produced at least four iterations parties concerned including their negotiation ISBN: 978-0-473-44053-4 (PDF) of the masterplan for assessment after of a final settlement in June 2017. ISBN: 978-0-473-43924-8 (Softcover)

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