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System Title

4.10 Waitakere City Council Green Network

Keywords Land planning framework, green network, Waitakere City, native vegetation, wildlife habitats
Description

The green network describes the natural and physical resources in the City and the management of the protection, restoration and regeneration of these resources. The green network is structured around four layers. These are: a descriptive layer, a land-use management layer, a restoration layer and an asset management layer.

The descriptive layer contains information about the City's natural and physical resources as follows:
  • streams, lakes, rivers and wetlands
  • significant and outstanding native vegetation;
  • significant and outstanding fauna habitat
  • coastal environment where the natural character is largely intact
  • outstanding natural features and landforms
  • geopreservation sites and representative and outstanding soils
  • restoration and linkage areas

The land-use management layer has a series of management areas that reflect the nature of resources found in the City, their importance and the need to provide an appropriate level of protection. The different management areas are:

  • riparian margins natural area
  • protected natural area
  • managed natural area
  • ecological linkage/restoration natural area
  • coastal natural area

In addition the special soils area provides recognition of the City's "outstanding soils".

The restoration layer relates to active restoration strategies using non-regulatory techniques and reflects the priorities for restoration in different parts of the City. The asset management layer is concerned with the active management of Council lands that lie within the green network. The land-use management layer incorporates the district plan rules and is concerned with managing six activities that are considered to have greatest impact on the resources in the network. These activities are: vegetation clearance, earthworks, impermeable surfaces, stock grazing, weeds, pests and subdivision.
Original Purpose "The green network is the framework by which the impacts of activities on both natural and physical resources and on amenity values and landscapes are managed [by Watakere City Council]"
Status Developed in 1995 as part of the proposed district plan planning process.
Organisation Waitakere City Council
Jurisdiction Waitakere City
Contact person/position Directory Strategy and Development
Address Private Bag 93 109
Henderson
Waitakere City
Phone: +64 9 836 8000
Fax: +64 9 836 8001
www.waitakere.govt.nz
Available format District plan
Access Freely available
Geographical coverage Waitakere City

 

Operational Specifications

  
Scale of Operation District plan maps are at a range of scales from 1:5000 to 1:30 000
GIS Compatibility Yes
Relationship between levels in the classification system

The four main layers are not in a hierarchy. They all operate across the same landscape. Within the descriptive layer there are seven classes and within the management layer there are five classes with some of these being further subdivided.
Contributing databases/classification systems
  • Surveys of Waitakere and Tamaki ecological districts
  • Sites of Special Wildlife Interest Database
  • Assessments of the green network, weeds, and landscapes
Contributing database GIS compatibility All areas of significant/outstanding vegetation and fauna habitat are linked to GIS attribute tables that describe composition and abundance.
Relationship with other classification systems and spatial frameworks. N/A
Relationship with other databases PNAP survey information is used in combination with NZLRI database to assess vegetation.

 

Current and emerging use for:

  
Assisting with determining historic state/ baseline PNA survey information and NZLRI database used together to determine changes in vegetation through time.
Assisting with determining current state/ baseline The system can assist with describing current terrestrial biodiversity
Asssisting with scenario building and modelling of possible futures The system can be used to identify the effects of different council "management options" for different types of natural areas.
Risk Assesment The system may assist with the identification of sites that are vulnerable because of their ecological values.
Monitoring site selection and sample design The underlying data from the PNA surveys could be used to assist the selection of sites for monitoring.
Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally and/or nationally

The underlying PNA data can be aggregated as standard methodology has been used. This data can not yet be aggregated nationally as not all ecological districts have been surveyed. The layers used in the green network are defined specifically for Waitakere City and so it would not be possible to aggregate for reporting using these layers.

Current use (who,level,why)

This is a framework for the Waitakere City Council District Plan. It is not used by other agencies.

User friendliness/public and decision maker understanding

There is clear documentation and clear council planning maps

Framework strengths

Current limitations of framework

The system has not been used elsewhere in New Zealand.

References

Waitakere City Council. 1995. Proposed district plan.

Waitakere City Council. Partially operative district plan (27 Mary 2003).