New District Plan needs vision
You walk through a long green driveway. Near the end of this tunnel the work of the sculptor is revealed by the unexpected.
The standout simplicity of the straight lines of thick, separate, individual yellow bamboo trees. A statement of not only the unusual but also a visual signal for the mind to expect other such unexpected delights. And the garden of Liz and Julian Matthews does not disappoint. Tall mature trees provide shelter and pockets of tight open spaces. That balance, creating both areas for multi-green shadeloving plants, and, I suspect, the light open spaces trapping the sunshine, creating a hothouse for an explosion of hot coloured flowers. And fruiting banana trees, giant bromeliads grounding the upward climb of 100 year-old nikau palms. This is an exceptional subtropical garden in the middle of Waikanae. Julian is a former editor of the popular NZ Home and Garden magazine. His ability to craft a symbiotic interface between the indigenous and exotic is only surpassed by his mastery of natural shapes. The built environment, the Matthews’ colourful house, is lost in the osmosis-like embrace of this magnificent garden.
The garden was one of 12 showcased over the weekend’s Ray White Super Garden Trail organised by the Waikanae Lions. This year’s fundraising will support youth group ZEAL and Dementia Wellington. The Garden Trail is dominated by a number of great gardens along and around Te Moana Rd. These private properties, their proud and generous gardeners, the supporting team of volunteers, as well as the money raised for social causes would probably not exist if not for the protection of the District Plan. The Plan has a series of nine precincts within its residential zones which capture and preserve local character and low density environment while in some areas making room for higher density development. The policies, rules and standards for the Waikanae Garden Precinct were designed for high amenity values associated with maintaining the mature trees and remnant indigenous vegetation. The Waikanae Garden Precinct is reinforced by another DP tool. It’s designated a Special Character Area to preserve and enhance its garden character and extensive vegetation.
As a journalist covering council meetings, in the late 1990s, I reported on the debate to create this special precinct. It was led by Waikanae Ward councillor Tony Jack. The retired property purchaser for the Public Works Department had his own real estate business when he became a councillor. I remember the argument when he tabled his motion to support the precinct. He argued that if common good safeguards were not entrenched through the planning process Waikanae was in danger of losing a key part of its local character. He warned development pressure was leading to developers buying up the large Te Moana Rd properties and subdividing them into smaller lots and selling them off for a tidy profit. That meant the loss of the extensive gardens and vegetation. If councillor Jack and his fellow councillors had failed to get the precinct designation across the line, Waikanae today would be the poorer. That lesson is true today for the whole district. At a time when development pressures are increasing, a good District Plan is the tool to deliver the ability of Ka¯ piti to support growth and sustainable growth. Without compromising the reasons why we love living here. But the Plan needs to be driven by a vision. It’s time to revisit and review that vision in the face of the challenges.