Community gardens policy

Introduction | Policy context | Issues and opportunities | Policy | Proposal | Criteria for assessment

4.0 Policy

Auckland City’s general policies regarding the establishment of community gardens are:

Protect open space values

1.  Auckland City will seek to maintain the public use and open space values of the land.
2.  Auckland City will enable the establishment of community gardens on public open space.
3.  Other open spaces identified as potentially suitable for community gardens include schools, residual land adjoining rail corridors, vacant or temporary lots.
4.  Community gardens are not appropriate in Premier Parks, on volcanic cones, or in Coastal Management Areas.
5.  The location of Community Gardens within an open space should consider and complement the primary function of the open space, and its associated uses and users.
6.  Community gardens should be located to minimise potential conflict with open space uses and users.
7.  Community gardens should not dominate the primary useable area of neighbourhood parks.
8.  Where submissions for community gardens arise from initial reserve management plan consultation, Auckland City may include community gardening as an option for further consultation and consideration.

Process and assessment

9.  Auckland City will assess each proposal to establish a community garden on a case-by-case basis.
10.  Prospective gardeners are required to submit a proposal in accordance with section 5.0 of this policy.
11.  The application, community garden management plan and proposal will be assessed by officers in accordance with the criteria set out in section 6.0 of  this policy.
12.  Following the initial assessment, officers will report to the relevant Community Board for a decision.
13.  The delegation for approving a community garden proposal rests with the relevant Community Board.
14.  If approved, a lease will be formulated and approved under the appropriate delegated authority.

Tenure

15.  Successful community garden applications will be granted a short-term lease.
16.  Community Garden tenancies will be for a maximum term of five years.
17.  Community Gardens will operate on a not-for-profit basis.
18.  It will be the responsibility of the tenant to:

a.  maintain control of noxious weeds and pests in accordance with any policies of council (and Auckland Regional Council), and to the satisfaction of the Parks Officer or other Council Officer responsible for the public space
b.  maintain the garden’s vegetation, fencing, signage, furniture and/or other structures to the satisfaction of the Parks Officer or other Council Officer responsible for the public space
c.  maintain public access rights and any other conditions as stipulated by the lease
d.  allow monitoring and review as stipulated by the lease.

19.  Community garden tenancies will not confer rights to cut down or remove any trees from the public space, without written approval from Council.

Management and monitoring

20.  Community gardens will be monitored and reviewed annually.
21.  Auckland City will establish a contact database, including links to relevant web-sites.

Published July 2002