Email Letter - Rotorua District Council

9 July 2014
Anabella Vidal
Rotorua District Council
Private Bag 3029
Rotorua Mail Centre
Rotorua 3046
NEW ZEALAND
Via email:
[email protected]
Dear Anabella
Re:
REVIEW OF SUBMISSIONS ON OUTSTANDING NATURAL FEATURES AND LANDSCAPES
WITHIN RDC PROPOSED DISTRICT PLAN
Boffa Miskell Ltd has been engaged to undertake a review of the submissions to the Proposed
District Plan in relation to two existing ONFLs and two requested ONFL’s. The following review
provides a review against the method used in the 2010 ONFL study1 to provide a consistent
method and level of identification across the District. The recommendations within this report
are from a technical expert only.
1. Background
In 2008 Boffa Miskell Ltd undertook several landscape assessments to identify
Rotorua’s Outstanding Natural Landscapes and Features. The purpose of this study
was to assess these landscapes in line with current best practice and in line with
recent case law2.
The landscape assessments first identified the character of the District and in turn the
character units. Following on from this work the ‘special and important’ landscapes
and features were identified. These are the features and landscapes that were
considered to have factors, values and associations that were significant enough to
be collectively rated as Outstanding.
Attachment A details the assessment of the two ONFL’s that are queried within the
submissions and which form part of this review.
1
2
Lake Rotorua Landscape Assessment – June 2010, Boffa Miskell Ltd.
WESI vrs QLDC(2000) NZRMA 59
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY _20140612.docx
2. Scope of Submissions
2.1
Content & Relief Sought
The following submissions sought to revise boundaries of two identified
ONFL’s and include two additional ONFL’s within the Proposed District Plan:
Hamurana Road Wetland:
Maps show ONFL crossing the front of our property at 372B Hamurana Road.
This area is mostly lawn and amenity planting. This ONFL comes off the
northern edge of the Hamurana Road Wetland and crosses our boundary to
the lakefront. Ground truthing would show that this should follow the
northern edge of Hamurana Road Wetland SNA up to the lake front, then
run along the lake edge.
Mount Ngongotaha
Delete the Mt Ngongotaha ONFL from the Henderson Quarry (Lot 1, DPS1283,
also known as Rotohokahoka F6 Block) undertake sufficient ground trothing
to determine the correct eastern boundary of the ONFL and amend the
eastern boundary in consultation with the submitter to align with this specific
ground contour or indigenous vegetation line that is clear of the mineral
resource. The Eastern boundary of the ONFL is very close to the Henderson
Quarry Site. It is unclear form the scale of the planning maps what land is
included within this notation. Submitter is concerned that the location of the
ONFL has potential to adversely impact upon the continued operation of
the quarry activities.
New ONFL – Te Pohue and Mahorehore Wetland
Include these two wetlands as new ONFL’s. These sites are of cultural and
ecological significance for Ngati Rangiwehi.
3. Assessment
The following assessment takes into account the method used for the District
Landscape Assessment 3. The assessment considered first the character of the broad
areas of Rotorua and secondly assessed within these those areas that were
considered to be outstanding.
The assessment criteria used has been adopted from the earlier BOP Regional Policy
Statement (at that time) and the criteria applied within Variation 1 of that RPS.
Largely this criteria of ONFL assessment has not changed since the study and remains
an application of what is known as the WESI criteria 4. The criteria or ‘factors, values
and associations’, are listed within the landscape study and have been applied to
each of the requested reviews.
Lake Rotorua Landscape Assessment – June 2010, Boffa Miskell Ltd.
Refer to Page 93, Northern Lakes Landscape Assessment, Outstanding Natural Features and
Landscapes chapter.
3
4
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
page 2
3.1
Hamurana Wetland as part of the Lake Rotorua and Margins ONFL
The Hamurana Wetland forms part of the Lake Rotorua and Margins ONFL. The
wetland is seen as a key part of the ONFL particularly in regard to the Natural
Science factors. In this area of the ONFL the ecological values associated with the
SNA5 are driving factors to the identification of this feature.
The submission requests that the modified areas of their property are excluded and
the northern edge of the wetland are matched. Taking into account the factors,
values and associations, those areas proposed to be removed do not display the
qualities associated with the ONFL area. The following image provides a
recommended boundary adjustment to this part of the ONFL extent.
Proposed amended
ONFL boundary
Extent of Existing
ONFL
Figure 1 – Hamurana Wetland as part of the Lake Rotorua Wetland and Margins
ONF – Red line depicts marrying the new ONFL line to the extent of the SNA feature
for this area.
Recommendation
Adjust northern extent of ONFL within the Hamurana Wetland to match the SNA
feature for this area. The above diagram demonstrates the mapping adjustment
recommended. The revised ONFL extent will continue to meet the assessment
criteria as detailed in the June 2010 Landscape Assessment report.
5
Significant Natural Area
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
page 3
3.2
Mount Ngongotaha
Described as steep volcanic intrusion (cone) feature of rhyolite dome complex
formed after the Rotorua eruption rising from the caldera floor. The distinctive factors
rated as high within the assessment are attributed to the geological form that in turn
effects the Vividness value. Mount Ngongotaha is highly recognisable across the
community and beyond and contributes to the volcanic landscape character of
the area.
The values attributed to the feature include the Maori Values that include pa sites
on its lower slopes which include pa, selttlements and urupa along with important
resources such as springs. The mountain is a revered ancestral maunga by many of
the resident hapu of Te Arawa.
The submission seeks for consideration of the existing quarrying lan d use on the
mountain and its concern around the ongoing operations of the activity within the
ONFL. Relief sought focuses on deleting the ONFL from the Quarry site (Lot 1 DPS
12383). The following image shows the extent of the ONFL and the stated Henderson
Quarry site.
Submitters Property
Extent of Existing
ONFL
Figure 2 – Mt Ngongotaha ONFL and Quarry Site
The intrusion into the quarry site is minimal and it is agreed that the quarry feature
does not contribute to the ONFL itself. Figure 3 shows full extent of the ONFL. The
spur on which the quarry site is located forms an important part of the ONFL,
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
page 4
particularly in regard to its geomorphology and volcanic form. The boundary
follows a broader ridgeline along this spur and it is recommended that this feature
remains as part of the ONFL. However detailed adjustment to follow the natural
landform along the top of the ridge is recommended to take into account the
submitters broader relief.
Submitters
Property
Location
Extent of Existing
ONFL
Figure 3 – Mt Ngongotaha – Full Extent
Figure 4 below provides an adjustment to the ONFL extent along the north eastern
extent of the spur. This follows more accurately the natural landform around the
top end of the spur, responding to the geomorphology of the overall volcanic
feature and the Aesthetic Values, in particular the visual coherence and vividness.
Similarly the Maori values are considered for this adjustment to ensure recognised
sites of significance and their relationship to the maunga are included.
Proposed
amended ONFL
Boundary
Submitters Property
Figure 4 – Mt Ngongotaha – Proposed Adjustment to ONFL boundary (red line)
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
page 5
Recommendation
Adjust north eastern extent of ONFL to follow the natural landform around the
end of the spur. This part of the maunga remains significant and should be
retained for its geological importance however the quarry operations have
significantly detracted from the feature and do not form part of the ONF.
3.3
Inclusion of New ONFL’s – Te Pohue Wetland andTe Mahorehore Wetland
The requested wetlands for inclusion as an outstanding natural feature are sited
between Hamurana Road and Lake Rotorua. The features are not identified as
Significant Natural Features and are separated from Lake Rotorua with pastoral
farmland.
These areas display some natural elements consistent with natural patterns,
processes and elements that are remnant of the natural systems prior to human
occupation. In order to identify these areas as forming part of the Outstanding
Natural Feature they would need to be ecologically assessed as having higher levels
of indigenous biodiversity with high levels of naturalness and connectivity with Lake
Rotorua. This does not discount that these areas contribute to the natural
environment and are important. However based on our evaluation of these features
they are not recommended to be identified as separate ONFL’s or included as part
of the Lake Rotorua and Margins ONFL.
Figure 5 – Te Pohue and Te Mahorehore Wetlands
Recommendation
To acknowledge the ecological and cultural significance of these wetlands to
Ngati Rangiwewehi. However it would be inconsistent with the wider ONFL
assessment to include these areas as separate ONF’s or as part of the Lake
Rotorua and Margin ONF. It is recommended that these two wetlands are not
included as ONFL’s.
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
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We have based the above recommendations on the technical data assessed at the time
of the 2010 assessment and note that policy considerations based on current case law 6
have not been taken into account.
We are happy to discuss the above and provide any further information as required.
Yours sincerely
BOFFA MISKELL
Rebecca Ryder
Principal Landscape Architect
Attachment A – ONFL Assessment Tables from June 2010 Landscape Assessment ONFL study
6
WESI vrs QLDC(2000) NZRMA 59
T14051_002_Opinion_ONFL_Reviews_RRY_20140612.docx
page 7

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