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Natural environment and heritage

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Natural environment and regional growth

The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) outlines Aucklanders' aspiration for clean air, clean water, and for the maintenance and protection of the region's natural character.

The sustainable use of resources through more efficient use of natural and physical resources, including urban and rural land, infrastructure, and energy resources is also a key regional outcome of the RGS.

Natural environment initiatives

The ARC plays a key role and is involved in a wide range of initiatives to protect and preserve the natural environment.

Implementation progress and challenges

Significant legislative, planning and policy changes have occurred since the RGS was adopted, that relate to the management, preservation and protection of Auckland's natural environments:

  • The Auckland Regional Policy Statement (RPS), supported by regional plans (Air, Land and Water; Sediment Control, and Farm; Dairy Discharges) provide management response under the Resource Management Act (1991) and are also implemented through district plans.
  • The Auckland Regional Plan: Coastal (2004) contains schedules of cultural heritage sites for preservation, coastal protected areas and areas of significant conservation values.
  • Proposed changes to the RPS continue this effort to protect the natural environment. Plan Change 8 has added additional protections in the rural area, and reviewed and reclassified the volcanic cone viewshafts of the region. Plan Change 9 and 1- identify the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act (2000) and natural hazards as important issues in the RPS.
  • The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Bill is special government legislation to protect the ranges and enhancement of their heritage.
  • The formulation of a Hazard Reduction Group, which provides greater clarity regarding the range, roles and responsibilities for managing natural hazards. It also reflects a number of new pieces of legislation that have been introduced since the RPS was written, namely the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act (2002), the Building Act (2004), and the Resource Management (Energy and Climate Control) Amendment Act (2004).
  • The Auckland Regional Open Spaces Strategy was designed in response to the RGS and recognises that open space plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of our living environments.
  • The Auckland Regional Pest Management Strategy provides a framework for effective plan and animal pest management. The strategy recognises that with over 150 endangered animals and plants, including some of the world's rarest birds, significant forest, scrub and wetland areas, and also offshore islands, the potential impact of pests is a major issue within the Auckland region.

Evaluation of the growth strategy

In 2007 we released a document called Growing Smarter; a comprehensive evaluation of the RGS. The evaluation has highlighted some future opportunities and in particular the need to focus on the quality of the urban natural environment:

  • implement the Auckland Regional Open Space Strategy, and further develop urban parks with links to the waterfront and natural spaces within the urban area
  • protect rural and coastal areas from urbanisation though the identification of ‘no go' areas and use of other tools; areas with high environmental and heritage values, or areas that are vulnerable to climate change
  • strengthen protection of existing natural areas, and restore ecological linkages through a regional natural network
  • use natural systems and processes in urban infrastructure design, and to place greater emphasis on green engineering solutions for the built environment.
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