Plans kickstart for Sainsbury Road Reserve
Work has been reignited on plans to optimise Sainsbury Road Reserve in Pirongia.
Waipā District Council initially started the process for developing a management plan for the reserve in 2015 with community engagement undertaken on three landscape plan options. That work came to a halt in 2016 due to staffing restraints.
Council has restarted the reserve management plan process for the 41-hectare reserve which is already a popular horse riding and recreation location.
Waipā District Council’s community services manager Brad Ward said the reserve was a great spot and is popular with locals and visitors. The Ngaparierua Stream runs through the reserve which is mostly grassed, with small pockets of native vegetation, over-grown gorse and old pine trees. The reserve is also close to the Pirongia Mountain Bike Park.
Feedback in 2015 and 2016 on the draft landscape concept plans provided Council with a clear direction on the community’s aspirations for the reserve, he said.
“People were generally supportive of seeing much of the reserve revegetated with native species, and wanted it to continue providing recreational opportunities like horse riding, mountain biking and walking.”
Council has now approved the approach for developing the reserve management plan and have directed staff to pick up the process from when it was paused in 2015.
The next step will be establishing a focus group including representatives from mana whenua, the horse riding community, the current lessee, the mountain biking community, the Taiea te Taiao Ecological Corridor project plus a councillor and someone from the sustainable forestry sector. The focus group will ensure the draft reserve management plan is developed in line with community aspirations and mana whenua values.
A draft reserve management plan is scheduled to go to Council’s Service Delivery Committee in December before going out for community consultation. People will have the opportunity to make submissions on the draft plan in early 2023, with submission hearings taking place in mid-2023. It is anticipated the final reserve management plan for the reserve will be adopted in July 2023.
