Once It's Gone, We'll Never Replace It - The Local Heritage Issue.

Once It's Gone, We'll Never Replace It - The Local Heritage Issue.

What does heritage in our local area mean to you? This is a key question a group of residents will be reflecting on at our Heritage Public meeting on Tuesday 3 May, in Birkenhead.

“Once our built heritage and native bush are gone, we will never be able to replace them.” says Danielle Grant, spokesperson for Help Save Heritage Northcote and Birkenhead.

“We need a balanced response, where we can protect our built heritage, while still enabling additional warm, dry and affordable homes in a more high-density Auckland.” Says Grant.

“Our older suburbs of Northcote Point and Birkenhead Point, like many others in Auckland, do not have adequate infrastructure, either the power capacity, the storm and wastewater capacity or the access to frequent public transport, needed to support so many new three storey apartment blocks.” Says Grant

“Infrastructure constraints must be taken into consideration, to ensure our growth is managed.”

Download the Public Meeting Information Here

“Birkenhead and Northcote have many lovely old wooden heritage homes. They were built for residents who helped develop our services – built our schools and churches, developed the roads, and built the first Library. They served the community well through the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Loss of such homes will lose links to our past – we need to identify and preserve the places and stories that belong with them here.” Says Erica Hannam for the Birkenhead Heritage Society.

“Many in our local community are feeling blindsided by the significant loss of heritage which is currently being consulted on before a Unitary Plan Change which is required to be publicly notified in August 2022, in response to the National Policy Statement – Urban Development.”

“Maintaining a sense of history and place in some of our most unique Special Character Areas of Northcote Point and Birkenhead Point is what people are asking for.” Says Hannam.

“The government’s Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) mean that most residential sites will be zoned to have three units of 3 storeys as of right, within 1 metre of the boundary unless there are ‘qualifying matters’ established by Auckland Council to preserve the existing planning rules” says Gillian Taylor for the Birkenhead Residents Association.

The MDRS changes are part of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.

“The Kaipatiki bush reserves are linked with Significant Ecological Areas (SEAs) of bush on private land around our reserves. The area also includes standalone SEAs on private land. The Auckland Unitary Plan rules about SEAs don’t absolutely protect the bush. Property owners are allowed for example to clear a site for infill dwellings. This would enable more felling of trees.” Says Taylor.

“Le Roys Bush, in Birkenhead, is a pristine example as a connection to the bush canopy wildlinks for native birds, the fresh water streams and significant native trees. This will be lost if 3, and in places 6, story development is, as currently proposed, permitted adjacent to this beautiful bush.” Says Taylor.

We strongly encourage our community to visit: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/housing to complete the survey before 9 May 2022.

Download Public Meeting Information Here

Public Meetings and Drop-In Sessions:

Heritage Public Meeting – Help Save Heritage Northcote & Birkenhead
Tuesday 3 May, 6.30pm, Birkenhead Bowling Club, 93 Mokoia Ave, Birkenhead

Drop-in session #2: Thursday 5 May, 5.30pm – 7pm Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club

Drop-in session #3 Sunday 8 May, 1 – 4pm, Birkenhead Heritage Society Museum, 44 Mahara Ave, Birkenhead.

Note: Drop-in session #1 was held on Friday 29 April, 10am – 3pm, Northcote Point Senior Citizens House, 119 Queens Street, Northcote Point.

Contacts:
Danielle Grant JP: Spokesperson for Help Save Heritage Northcote & Birkenhead, an initiative co-ordinated by: Northcote Point Heritage Preservation Society, Birkenhead Heritage Society, D Grant, Northcote Residents Association and Birkenhead Residents Association.