Council secures more land for network of Bay parks

Environment Bay of Plenty is pushing ahead with plans to establish a chain of regional parks.

It has taken over as sole owner of the area's first regional park, in the Papamoa hills near Te Puke, which was opened to the public last July.

And the council has bought 20ha at Bryans Beach at Ohiwa Harbour, between Ohope and Opotiki, for future development. Long-term, a third park is likely at Papamoa East near the Kaituna River.

In 2002, Environment Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty councils paid one-third each for the 100ha that became the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park. The land was offered by former long-serving local body politician Barry McNaughton, whose family had farmed there for more than a century.

Mr McNaughton had turned down $4 million from developers several years ago because he wanted the site to become a "people's park".

The regional council said last week that it had bought the shares held by the two territorial authorities for $920,000, freeing up the district and city councils' resources for local parks and for a sub-regional park being established at Plummers Point north of Tauranga.

Environment BOP chairman John Cronin said the Papamoa park was "a very special place" and the first in what could become a network of regional parks in the Bay of Plenty.

It has significant archaeological pa sites and sweeping sea views.

Run as a passive reserve, with no camping, mountainbiking, fires or dogs allowed, the park has had many thousands of visitors since it opened eight months ago.

The Bryans Beach property also contains several pa sites and areas of pasture, bush and wetland. It offers superb sea views from higher points but is still being farmed and is not yet open to the public.

Before it can become a regional park, the council will probably need to buy neighbouring land.

Environment BOP approved a policy two years ago enabling it to buy land for public use. Priority is being given to coastal peninsulas and spits, harbour headlands, salt-marshes and land by lakes, rivers and wetlands.