Hearings Committee
Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan
MINUTES
Minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Hearings Committee held in the Council Chambers, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Octagon, Dunedin, on Wednesday 20 November 2024, commencing at 9:40 am.
PRESENT
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Chairperson |
Cr Steve Walker |
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Cr Christine Garey |
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Hoani Langsbury |
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Cr Brent Weatherall |
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IN ATTENDANCE |
Heath Ellis (Group Manager Parks and Recreation), John Brenkley (Manager Parks Planning) and Elizabeth Schonwald (Senior Planner Parks and Recreation) |
Governance Support Officer Lauren Riddle
Hoani Langsbury opened the meeting with a Karakia.
Panel members introduced themselves.
Cr Walker (Chairperson) welcomed attendees and completed housekeeping and health and safety notifications.
Procedural matters
Cr Walker advised that late submission had been included within the DCC report, that the Panel were happy to accept the late submissions.
Cr Walker advised that 10 submissions were missed as part of the initial submission process but had now been documentation but were not directly referred to in the report. He advised that the additional submissions took the total number of submissions to 202.
Cr Walker confirmed that the topics covered within these 10 submissions were consistent with those covered within the reports, so although numbers have increased the proportions remained the same.
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Deputy Chairperson Hoani Langsbury): That the Committee:
Accepts the late submissions.
Motion carried (HEAR/2024/013) |
Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
No additional declarations were made.
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee:
a) Notes the Elected Members' Interest Register; and b) Confirms the proposed management plan for Elected Members' Interests. Motion carried. |
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SUBMISSIONS |
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Kate Spenceley - 1060828 |
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Ms Spenceley spoke to her submission, seeking better signage for walkers and mountain biker users on the tracks and proportional representation for the users on the Signal Hill. The need for exotic trees to be retained.
Ms Spenceley referred to the work done by the Mountain Bike Otago club to the tracks, toilet facilities etc, and responded to questions.
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Fiona Jakobs spoke on behalf of Hilary Calvert - 1053160 |
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Ms Jakobs read aloud from Hilary Calvert’s submission and made additional suggestions including: road widening to the top of Signal Hill for safety reasons; acknowledgement of the importance of the hill to mana whenua, through signage; provision of public toilets and seating.
No questions were raised. |
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Fiona Jakobs - 1058151 |
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Ms Jakobs spoke to her submission including: the need for road widening on Signal Hill and Butts Road, due to safety concerns for users of the road and tracks. She spoke in support of freedom camping, toilet facilities, public bus service accessibility to the area, and the volunteer work undertaken on the tracks and sought Council support of this.
Ms Jakobs responded to questions. |
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Rhys Millar, Predator Free and Halo Project –- 1068919 |
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Mr Millar spoke to the submission and advised the need for a good landscape design, including for fire prevention. He sought a 20 year ecological implementation plan for the site, to include representation from mana whenua, and restoration of the forest to native plantings.
Mr Millar responded to questions. |
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Ben Nicholls, Valley Urban Ecosanctuary - 1081185
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Mr Nicholls spoke to the submission and in support of the promotion of mountain biking in the Signal Hill reserve as a tourism opportunity for the city. He also spoke in support of native biodiversity to improve the reserve.
Mr Nicholls responded to questions.
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Glen Knol (via audio visual link) - 1056809
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Mr Knol spoke in support of his submission, Mountain Bike Otago, and of the volunteer work undertaken on the trails. He encouraged Council support of the trails due to the economic benefits to the city from marketing mountain bike events at Signal Hill such as “Crankworks” due to the large number of international visitors to these events.
Mr Knol responded to questions. |
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee:
Adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried.
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The meeting adjourned at 10:47am and resumed at 11:21am.
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Rachel Elder, Dunedin Tracks Network Trust - 1068916 |
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Ms Elder provided the panel with additional hard copy reference documents on research data for Otago adult outdoor activities.
Ms Elder spoke to the submission and referenced the research information tabled in support of additional biking and pedestrian trails on Signal Hill to promote positive health and well-being outcomes for users. Ms Elder considered the Signal Hill tracks provided a major tourism opportunity for the city.
Ms Elder responded to questions.
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Richard Wilson - 1068855 |
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Mr Wilson spoke in support of his submission and sought consideration of landowners in the management plan for any future development at the Signal Hill reserve. He sought development of the carpark at the memorial to utilise the view of the city for visitors, the addition of public toilets which would also benefit visitors and freedom campers. He expressed concern about access to his property if any reclassification of crown owned land into the reserve was made.
Mr Wilson responded to questions.
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Jim McQuillan, Friends of Burns Reserve Trust –- 1068930 |
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Mr McQuillan spoke to the Trust’s submission from the perspective of a walker of the tracks, including the need to protect the natural environment and beauty of the reserve through pest plant management, and for separate paths for walkers and riders as a safety matter. He considered there was a need for a fire break to be established between the Burns Reserve and the Signal Hill recreational reserve.
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee:
Adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried.
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The meeting adjourned at 11:54am and resumed at 12:33pm.
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Robert Havill, Mountain Biking Otago – 1061138 |
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Mr Havill spoke to the Mountain Biking Otago (MBO) submission as the Club President. He spoke of the benefit of improvements and added amenities to the reserve to support hosting of national and international mountain biking events and the economic benefit these would bring to the city.
Mr Havill expressed concern of capping a fixed number of tracks in the reserve due to the length of time between review of the management plan being up to 20 years. He also sought greater representation of the Mountain Biking Otago as a user group of the reserve and the continued collaboration with DCC.
Mr Havill responded to questions.
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1057168 Phil Page |
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Mr Page spoke to his submission and the recreational value of the reserve and his support of consultation with Council for management of the reserve rather than regulation of users through a management plan.
Mr Page responded to questions.
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Hamish Seaton (via audio visual link) - 1083747
Mr Seaton spoke to his submission. He sought for Mountain Biking Otago to have a greater voice on the Signal Hill reserve users group due to the level of commitment the club had made of 20 years to the provision of facilities and diversity of tracks at the reserve resulting in increased patronage.
Mr Seaton responded to questions.
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Tom Scott, Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) - 1068860
Mr Scott spoke in support of a management plan being put in place for users. He sought promotion of activity for a wider range of users on the reserve, including pedestrian use for travel to work or school. He expressed his safety concern for high speed biking to walkers on the tracks.
No questions were raised. |
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee:
Adjourn the meeting for the Panel deliberations.
Motion carried.
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The meeting adjourned at 1:22pm and reconvened at 2.00 pm.
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3 |
Draft Signal Hill Recreation Reserve Management Plan 2024 - Summary of Feedback from Community Engagement |
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A report from Parks and Recreation provided a summary of the submissions received during community engagement on the draft Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan 2024 (the Draft Plan). It noted that the Draft Plan was an update of the 2003 Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan. The report noted that there were 192 submissions made during community engagement on the Draft Plan. Of the submissions, 34 supported the Draft Plan, 149 did not support the Draft Plan. Following discussion, the Committee requested the following changes:
3. Background Information Inclusion of more detail on the mana whenua detail including how their history and colonial history fitted together.
4. Site Analysis View shafts – additional wording to include improvement in the provision of vistas up the harbour from the Memorial carpark. Recreation – identify a way to support all users of the reserve.
5. Opportunities
5.2. Reference to “limit” and “beyond” to be removed.
5.4. Inclusion of wording that supported predator control.
7. Management Objectives and Policies 7.2 to now read “Reserve Management Engagement”.
7.6.1.7. Reference to tracks to now read: multiuse tracks will be identified through marketing material, signage, and markers.
7.6.1.x a new policy identifying: walking tracks will be designated for pedestrians only and will be identified through marketing, signage, and markers.
7.6.1.8. Refer to the Recreation Aotearoa New Zealand Mountain Bike Trail and Design Guidelines
7.6.1.13. The reference to grades 1 to 3 to now read easier grades suitable for wider number of users.
7.8.1.2. To now read: Support Transport in the consideration of opportunities to make Signal Hill Road safer.
7.8.1.3. To now read: Investigate opportunities with Transport as to the provision of separate path adjacent to Signal Hill Road for walkers, runners, and cyclists.
7.9.1. Include the following: No smoking and vaping is permitted within the reserve.
7.9.x. A new policy to read: Downhill Mountain bike tracks will not cross with each other or any other type of track without some form of warning or slowdown treatments to inform users of the upcoming intersection.7.10.x. A new policy to read: No smoking and vaping within the reserve due to the potential risk of fire.
7.12.1.6. To now read: Council may consider stopping the legal roads within the Reserve (top of Signal Hill Road, and a section of Blacks Road which partly circuits the water reservoir) where it does not prohibit landowners from entering their properties, and incorporating the land within the Reserve. To enable closure of the Reserve to vehicles at specific times to reduce antisocial behaviour and improve management control.
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee:
Requests staff to include the Committee’s detailed comments to the Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan.
Motion carried (HEAR/2024/014)
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The meeting reconvened on Wednesday, 12 February 2025 at 9.00 am.
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DELIBERATION AND RECOMMENDATION |
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There was discussion on the draft Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan and proposed amendments. |
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Moved (Cr Steve Walker/Cr Christine Garey): That the Committee: Recommends that Council adopts the Signal Hill Reserve Management Plan (as amended). Motion carried (HEAR/2024/015) |
The meeting concluded at 11.00 am.
CHAIRPERSON