Plans to ban all Mt Eden vehicles

Buses make nearly 25,000 trips to the summit each year. Picture / Paul Estcourt

All vehicles are to be banned from the summit of Mt Eden (Maungawhau) under a plan to protect one of Auckland's main archaeological, geological and cultural sites - and one of its most popular destinations.

The move extends an earlier Auckland City Council proposal to ban tourist buses from the summit.

The mountain is "eroding before our eyes", Mayor Dick Hubbard said at the launch of Project Maungawhau yesterday, and he favours stopping all vehicles from driving to the top of the region's tallest volcanic cone (196m).

Mt Eden attracts 1.2 million visitors a year and about 275,000 vehicles, 9 per cent of them buses.

Tourist coaches often go straight from the airport to the summit to give overseas visitors their first panoramic view of the city.

Under a draft management plan to be issued on Wednesday for public comment, the council proposes to let vehicles about halfway up the mountain to carpark at the tea kiosk, which will be turned into a visitors' centre.

Tourists and locals would then have to walk the remaining 500m to the summit or travel on specially designed transport, such as a train unit with rubber wheels.

Previously, the council planned to ban only buses and allow people to drive cars to the top.

The carpark at the summit is on one of the most important archaeological sites on the mountain. The area contained buildings for up to 5000 Maori who lived on the slopes in pre-European times.

Maungawhau was a fortified pa until the 1700s, complete with terracing, palisades, storage pits and garden plots.

From about 1720, it was no longer extensively occupied by Maori as the soil had been depleted and was left to regenerate.

Mr Hubbard said Mt Eden had become tired and knocked around and needed a major overhaul.

The council planned to spend $4 million to $5 million to protect it and build an information centre.

It is the first volcanic cone to benefit from a rate for open space and volcanic cones, introduced by Mr Hubbard's council last year. The rate collects about $2.9 million a year.

Environment, heritage and urban form chairwoman Christine Caughey urged anyone with an interest in the mountain to make a submission over the two-month period from next Wednesday to October 4.

Once the draft management plan has been finalised and approved by Conservation Minister Chris Carter, work is expected to start early next year and be completed by the middle of 2008.

On Mt Eden yesterday, the consensus was that it's a nice volcano to visit in a vehicle, but not much fun on foot.

Andrew Kneebone of Titirangi said he would support a ban, but admitted a prohibition would keep him from visiting as often.

"It's good just sitting in the car up here. It's too cold otherwise."

Glenfield bus driver Gerard Holden said buses at least should be banned.

He said it "just doesn't work" with too many large vehicles on the mountain, more than 30 a day "when a cruise ship's in town".

He said he would probably climb to the summit, mainly "for fitness".

Onehunga resident Alan Parker said his preference would be to allow vehicle access to continue.

The "occasional" visitor to the summit said he "might" keep returning to Mt Eden, but "less frequently than if I could still drive".

- Additional reporting David Eames