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Geopreservation

Auckland's volcanoes are the products of our restless geological past. The volcanoes have provided Auckland with its fertile soils, rock aggregates for building and roading, and aquifers for water supply. This wealth of natural resources has helped to make Auckland the most populous region in New Zealand.

The volcanic features of Auckland are valuable too for their scientific, educational and aesthetic values, and they add to the special character of the natural landscapes of the region. Our wealth of geological features and landforms is worth protecting for these values.

Auckland's volcanic field may erupt again with potentially disastrous consequences. To understand future volcanic activity we must first unlock the secrets of the past. By preserving Auckland's geological features, we can also safeguard the scientific information contained within them that gives us an understanding of past eruptions and possible future threats. By combining monitoring of volcanic activity with our knowledge of geology we are better able to predict when and where future eruptions might occur, and how these could effect our communities.

There are a number of fascinating volcanic features around the Auckland region, for example, the fossil forests at Takapuna (lava tree moulds), lava flow formations on the foreshore of the Manukau Harbour, not to mention the cones of Mt Eden, One Tree Hill and Rangitoto Island. Some, but not all, of Auckland's volcanic features are protected from future development. For example, the explosion craters of South Auckland including Pukaki lagoon and Crater Hill basin are not well protected and could be subject to damage by quarrying or housing development in the future. Views of even Auckland's best known volcanic cones could be compromised by future building construction.

One of the functions of the Auckland Regional Council is the protection of significant geological features and landscapes. Awareness of the region's geology is crucial to understanding the importance of preserving sites of geological significance, making wise use of geological resources, and managing geological hazards such as those associated with the Auckland Volcanic Field. We need to develop an appreciation of the geological features of the Auckland Region, and the importance that geology plays in our everyday lives.

More information on Auckland's geological heritage can be found in "Lava and Strata - a guide to the volcanoes and rock formations of Auckland". Enquiries can be made to: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd, PO Box 30-368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand:

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