Friends of Houghton Valley Inc

The integrity of a Scenic B Reserve on Wellington’s South Coast has been compromised by a recent Wellington City Council decision granting a non-notified resource consent to subdivide adjacent land for the construction of 13 houses.

The built-area on the hillside near the eastern edge of Houghton Bay is crowned with the View Road South Headland Scenic Reserve. This area is currently comparatively undeveloped and is a highly visible coastal area. Existing residential areas directly north and south of the planned 13 lot subdivision, and of a similar size, have only 4 houses or 4 lots. We understand that the site at 215 Houghton Bay Rd will be built-on but we don’t support intensification of the present housing pattern here.

The proposed subdivision at 215 Houghton Bay Rd is situated within a Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) which occurs in a vegetation corridor between Houghton Bay and Evans Bay. “Since 2000, KNEs have been defined as areas of prime native habitat of regional significance situated on private land. They are primarily native forest remnants but also include wetlands, dune lands and coastal escarpments with significant native flora and fauna values.” (http://biosecurity.org.nz/news/managing-knes-in-greater-wellington). These ecological values make this unique area sensitive to change.

The high scenic and recreational values of this prominent headland were significant enough for the Environment Court to decline an application to build an aquarium in this zone in 2007. Instead, to protect this exceptional coastal feature, Te Raekaihau Park and View Road South Headland Scenic Reserves were established. The community has invested much energy working with Wellington City Council to establish and manage these Scenic Reserves. However, there has been no opportunity for our community or for anyone else who use and enjoy the scenic reserves, located above the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, to participate in this resource consent process; a publicly notified application would have been appropriate in this situation.

We rely on Council to protect the environmental and recreational values of all Scenic Reserves and manage coastal areas that are sensitive to change, especially coastal areas that are currently relatively undeveloped. The relationships between existing houses and bush-covered slopes and the openness of the coast and the coastal road contribute considerably to character of Wellington city. Coastal areas including this eastern side of Houghton Bay, and the area between Breaker Bay and the Pass of Branda, are highly visible coastal areas that are zoned Outer Residential so are subject to development. Where coastal character is dominated by scenic reserves, the potential impact of development must be fundamental in deciding whether to notify a resource consent application or not.

Sadly, because Council would not be persuaded to either decline the resource consent application for 215 or publicly notify it, a Judicial Review of their consent decision is the only course left to us. Friends of Houghton Valley Inc is a not-for profit organisation whose mission statement is to preserve the landscape character and environment of Houghton Valley and we need help to fund this legal challenge. If you can make a donation or ‘give-a-little’ we would be very grateful.

Thank-you for your time.