Opinion: Ahuriri Regional Park doesn’t need freedom camping, health resort, bird watch towers or waka landing site

Several “bird-watch towers” are shown on the Ahuriri Regional Park plan that seem to be better placed on the Mexican border or out at Mangaroa, Duncan Watson writes.

THREE KEY FACTS

• Ahuriri Regional Park would filter and polish Napier’s stormwater before it enters the estuary, and provide recreation opportunities.
• The concept for the $20m-plus project is in its early stages.
• Napier City Council is asking the community what they think in broad terms.

OPINION

Prompted by Annette Brosnan’s recent article on proposed developments at Ahuriri Estuary, I attended the open day at Lagoon Park on Saturday to learn more about the new masterplan.

I was hoping to hear of progress concerning the stormwater treatment that the new Ahuriri Regional Park is being created to provide.

Instead, we were all invited to provide feedback on ancillary projects, many of which appear in direct to conflict with the council’s current policies around the estuary.

Far from restoring the mauri (lifeforce) and preserving this valuable taonga, there are elements in the plan that seem to both squander ratepayer money and threaten the very taonga councils and Mana Ahuriri have been entrusted to preserve.

Among the bright ideas is a proposal to give freedom campers a large slice of land, alongside Prebensen Drive, adjacent to Parklands.

This will be part of a 50 hectare ”community and cultural” use area which will include a large reception and visitor hub (costing probably in the multi-millions), at a time when NCC is trying to flog off its Marine Parade Visitor Information Centre.

Similarly, just as the council is looking to offload its Kennedy Park campground, we see a proposal to build a health resort (with accommodation), a learning and research hub, and an eco camp for short-term guests- the latter within the most sensitive regenerating forest area.

Several large “bird-watch towers” are shown on the plan that seem to be better placed on the Mexican border or out at Mangaroa.

Their price tag would probably exceed $2-3 million. Twitchers/bird watchers would be perfectly happy with “mai mai” style hides costing next to nothing.

Then there’s a waka landing site with an adjacent Starbucks-style picnic spot.

Early designs of the concept of Ahuriri Regional Park. Photo / Napier City Council

Early designs of the concept of Ahuriri Regional Park. Photo / Napier City Council

The architects appear to have overlooked the fact it is an estuary, non-navigable for most of the day, a sensitive wildlife area. Even craft like waka can introduce marine pests like tube worm.

Also largely overlooked is a woolshed on the property which, with clever redesign, could serve as the primary visitor hub.

Pre-European and more recent history including earthquake and future climate issues could be displayed.

The woolshed and loading ramp are historical in their own right.

There’d be plenty of room for flax weaving and other cultural activities. Keep it simple. Much of the required infrastructure is already in place.

In my opinion, most Napier ratepayers simply want to see the council get on with cleaning up the estuary.

Get the bulldozers moving on the settling pond project. The habitat for returning wildlife and the adjacent estuary will need time to settle.

It’s time to give something back to nature, not to rush into further projects that threaten the very environment we seek to restore.

No more National Aquarium “white elephants”. Ratepayers need to make their views heard about this.

- Duncan Watson is a Napier City Council ratepayer. He lives in Westshore.