Mutukaroa-Hamlins Hill concept plan

Background | Final concept plan | Process from here

Background

Auckland City and Auckland Regional Council are looking at the future enhancement and development of Mutukaroa-Hamlins Hill. Mutukaroa-Hamlins Hill is the largest non-volcanic hill in Auckland (approximately 48 hectares in size) located in Mt Wellington between the southern motorway, Great South Road, and Sylvia Park Road.

23.2 hectares are owned by Auckland City Council, and 24.8 hectares are owned by the Crown. The Crown-owned portion is leased to the Mutukaroa Management Trust (for a period of 10 years commencing 1 July 1996) who sublease the land to the Auckland Regional Council as a regional park. Watercare Services also own a portion of land (1 hectare) upon which two reservoirs are sited.

The reserve is not widely used at present due to public perception of the land being in private ownership, which has been created in the past by the reserve's relative inaccessibility, adjacent industrial land uses, lack of facilities or amenities, and low public profile.

A management plan for Mutukaroa-Hamlins Hill was adopted in May 2001 by both Auckland City and Auckland Regional Council. The management plan states that a concept plan will be prepared to outline future development for the reserve in consultation with user groups and the public.

The concept plan is to address park usage, recreation areas, path/pedestrian access tracks, car parking, extent of planted areas, and should enable development of the park to proceed as and when funds are available.

The following items are to guide future designs for the park:

enhancement of the natural, visual and landscape values
protection of the archaeological features and sites of historic significance
provision of casual and informal recreational activities through facilities such as grassed areas, picnic areas, access paths, seats and rubbish bins, toilets, signs and planting
provision of pedestrian links with surrounding reserves, open spaces, residential areas and public transport
improvement of entrances and signage

In conjunction with this, the management plan also states that it is necessary to:

establish significant areas of native vegetation, focussing on lower slopes and gullies
protect the character of the visual landscape while preserving sightlines to and from the upper slopes of the hill in all directions
ensure that the vegetation is not detrimental to the archaeological, cultural and landscape values of the reserve
utilise only eco-sourced plant stock, wherever possible, in future plantings
ensure the survival of historic hawthorn hedgerows.

Updated August 2006