The Devonport Flagstaff Page 2
January 29, 2021
Empty house – no cash to fix waterfront property A multimillion-dollar council-owned waterfront property is untenanted because the city can not afford to maintain it. Auckland Council owns three residential houses along King Edward Pde. The house at number 55 has been empty for around a year and neighbours who contacted the Flagstaff have noted its unkempt state: its grounds are a mess and the gate is broken. A council assessement of the property last year found “a number of building issues that will need a significant investment to fix,” said the council’s Head of Property and Commercial Business, Kim O’Neil. “Keeping in mind the Emergency Budget,
and the financial challenges created by Covid-19, we are now looking at when it’s feasible to do this.” King Edward Pde lots 52, 55 and 56 are among a very small number of residential properties, with heritage status, owned by Auckland Council. They are technically part of the Devonport Domain, and with their heritage value, they are managed by Auckland Council’s Community Facilities department. At the moment, number 52 is tenanted, and the council is looking for a tenant for number 56. The council had no plans to sell the houses, Waterfront vacancy… the council O’Neil said. house
Status quo on Devonport’s maunga trees – for now
No decisions on the future of trees on Devonport mountains have yet been made by the Tupuna Maunga Authority following a landmark court decision pre-Christmas on the fate of non-native trees on Owairaka/Mt Albert. The High Court ruled that management of Auckland’s maunga under the Reserves Act has to be read in the context of the Treaty Settlement, which handed the mountains back to iwi. As part of the handover the mountains were to be managed by the Tupuna Maunga Authority (TMA) – a joint venture between Auckland Council and iwi. The judgement, issued late last year, effectively means the TMA can manage the mountain as it sees fit. The decision also found that Auckland Council acted lawfully when
granting the consent, on a non-notified basis, to remove 345 exotic trees from Owairaka and replace them with natives. “As the Maunga Authority’s evidence and the Application itself made plain, the removal of the exotic trees was a part only of what the Maunga Authority referred to as a ‘cultural, spiritual and ecological restoration of Ōwairaka,’ the decision said. The Flagstaff asked the TMA last week: How does this affect Devonport maunga? Is there a plan for them that is now being followed, flowing on from this? Or a review of trees on the Devonport maunga? TMA chair Paul Majurey responded: “The Tūpuna Maunga Authority has not made any decisions regarding vegetation restoration at either Takarunga or Maungauika.” From page 1
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New policy on mountain plaques
are not guaranteed to remain. Devonport have been a popular way to reThese will be considered by the authority member long-time residents and important on a “case by case basis”, the policy states. historical figues. Plaques attached to bench seats around A number of these plates have been affixed to seats on Maungauika and Takarunga. • To apply for a memorial public seat in Devonport outside the mountains an application needs to go to Auckland Council for review by the Devonport–Takapuna Local Board. However in practice many small plaques have been placed on seats around the area without official permission.
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3 Victoria Rd: empty for 977 days
Rob Drent Peter Wilson Janetta Mackay Anneka Brown Brendon De Suza Liz Cannon Jo Hammer
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Geoff Chapple, a Devonport local and member of a group that has called for greater transparency from the TMA, hoped it would be open about any future plans for trees on the Devonport maunga. “It’s time to consult… it makes for a better relationship.” Chapple said he was not fundamentally opposed to the planting of natives on the maunga, but would be upset if all non-natives were removed. “I wouldn’t want to see the oaks [on Takarunga] go… I’ve seen kaka feeding beneath the bark.” Chapple remained disappointed on the progress of individual management plans, for each mountain, on which the public could make submissions.
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The old Devonport Borough Council building at 3 Victoria Rd became vacant on 9 July 2018. It has now been unoccupied for 977 days. Auckland Council development arm Panuku is working through the options for the building.
