Churchill Park concept plan

Churchill Park long-term landscape concept plan

Overview | Background | Long-term concept plan | Extra information

Extra information

Churchill Park is a premier park. What does this mean?

Churchill Park was classified as a premier park in 1995. Currently, parks are classified into management categories - premier, neighbourhood or sportsparks. Premier parks are a high quality destination park that attracts people or visitors from across the city. Auckland City Council has prepared an open space strategy which identifies new management categories for parks across the city based on a park's primary function and catchment/profile within the community. Churchill Park is identified as a City Park.

How will all this work be paid for?

Funding will be applied for through the Annual Plan process each year - this will provide the public with an opportunity to comment further on the proposal. Funding for smaller improvement projects can also be sought through the Community Board's annual SLIPS budget (Small Local Improvement Projects). The park's management classification does not influence the level of capital development funding.

Are there any items shown on the concept plan that are to go ahead?

The carpark on Riddell Road - this is a separate project that was approved through a notified land use consent process and is currently before the Environment Court. Implementation funding has been allocated to this project and work is scheduled to begin in summer 2008.
There are some ageing and unsafe trees on the park, some of which have already been removed. The concept plan notes that all existing pine trees will need to be removed in the long-term (30-40 years) due to public safety concerns. In September 2005, 265 native specimen trees were planted and 240 have survived to date.

The management plan was approved in 1996. What has happened to the park since then?

Ongoing general park maintenance and monitoring of the waterflow of the stream environment.
Improvement projects including cattle fencing, extension of Kinsale Avenue carpark, upgrade of paths, improvements to the bowling club driveway, planting, weed removal, removal of unsafe pines and revegetation, community planting days, tree cages around specimen trees in the cattle grazing area.

When is this concept plan going to be implemented?

This project is looking at the long-term future of Churchill Park. A final concept plan will be implemented in a staged manner over quite some time (the next 20 years). Provided below is some guidance as to what timeframes are involved (subject to funding availability):

Short term (0-5 years) - cattle fencing, shelter planting, central footpath network, tree removal, tree planting, pedestrian entrances (weed removal, shrub planting, signage), introducing pest control programme, maintenance.
Medium term (5-15 years) - community facilities area (Kinsale Avenue improvements), Glendowie Stream Gully, tree removal, tree planting, native re-vegetation planting, public toilets, looking at opportunities to open up the area around the old golf clubhouse and looking at the future of the building.
Long term (15 years onwards) - tree removal, tree planting, native re-vegetation planting, maintenance.

Updated September 2007