Wainuiwhenua

Wainuiwhenua is a community-led group working with local iwi to achieve the best future uses of surplus Transmission Gully land for the Kāpiti District. At around 450 hectares, these lands form the hinterland around Paekākāriki village and will frame the entrance to the Kāpiti District.

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PROGRESS REPORT

Jenny Rowan, co-chair

December 2019

There has been great progress for Wainuiwhenua in the last few weeks, the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people, in a relatively short time. There are three significant developments I want to make sure you know about:

1. Hui endorsement

On November 17, 75 people came to a Sunday afternoon hui to consider the consultation document which had been circulated. After lively discussion, they unanimously endorsed all the recommendations.

“Noting the purposes, proposals and issues presented by the Wainuiwhenua Working Group at the hui on 17 Nov 2019,

and the working group’s commitment to stay engaged with and responsive to Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki and the community,

the members of the Paekākāriki community attending the hui support the Wainuiwhenua proposals as presented.”

(The full consultation document along with a short version are linked below)

2. Paekākāriki Community Board endorsement & request that Kāpiti Coast District Council joins effort

On On December 4, the new Paekākāriki Community Board considered the Wainuiwhenua project and unanimously endorsed it. Significantly, they encouraged the Kapiti Coast District Council to join in this project. Their resolution, in full:

“That the Paekākāriki Community Board fully endorses the aims of the Wainuiwhenua Working Group to keep surplus land from the Transmission Gully project, as detailed in their discussion document, to ensure this land is kept in public hands and to achieve the Group’s vision of environmental and public benefit activities.

That the Paekākāriki Community Board actively encourages the Kāpiti Coast District Council to join with the Wainuiwhenua Working Group in the next stage of investigating the feasibility of this project and that this relationship be formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding.

That the Wainuiwhenua Project become a separate Matter Under Action item on the Community Board agenda to keep the community involved and updated on the progress of this project.”

This is an important landmark – a resounding community endorsement, and a formal call to the KCDC to take it forward.

3. Survey Results: Solid environmental commitment

On December 3, the results of the online survey about Wainiuwhenua were released. The full results, including all the comments given, are linked below but the key points are:

  • There were responses from 248 people. This is not just a Paekākāriki issue — 36% of the responses came from elsewhere.
  • All of the proposals in the survey are supported by more than 80% of respondents (answering either “strongly support” or “somewhat support”).
  • The strongest support is for the environmental protection proposals, with at least 90% of respondents strongly supporting the reservation and revegetation of the hill country and wetland and stream protection.The full report, complete with all the comments, is very encouraging – do have a look at it below.And now…..There’s a great deal still to be done, but the foundation of strong community support is clear and documented, and there is a formal call for the KCDC to join in investigating how to make this vision a reality.Thank you to everyone for all the work in putting this together and placing it solidly on the agenda of our elected bodies, and in the hearts and minds of so many.Jenny Rowan, co-Chair

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DOCUMENTS 

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What’s this all about?

The completion of the Transmission Gully motorway will create a one-off opportunity for Paekākāriki and the wider Kāpiti district to secure about 450 hectares of land owned by New Zealand Transport Agency, and so maximise environmental protection and enhancement, mitigate hazards, and optimise the opportunities for social and economic development. 

The Wainuiwhenua Working Group, co-chaired by Mayor Gurunathan and ex-Mayor Jenny Rowan and made up of community stakeholders, mana whenua and Community Board members, has drafted a proposal as a key contribution to the land disposal process. 

We are seeking your views on two parts of the report in particular:

  • Do you support or oppose the draft proposals?
  • What responses do you have to the outstanding issues and questions?

We also seek any other comments you may have.

See the full version of the proposal for maps and description of the land, history of this proposal, Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki’s position, how the proposal can be achieved and a fuller discussion of issues.

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Additional information

Listen to Keith Johnson’s interview on RNZ here.

Read the Groundtruth NZTA Land Scoping document

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Who we are

The group includes a governance group and three working groups.

The governance group includes a number of local community and iwi leaders, working group leads and the Kapiti Coast District Council.

The three working groups include representatives from across a number of local community groups and local residents.

Co-chairs:

K Gurunathan, Mayor, KCDC & Jenny Rowan, Chair, Wellington Conservation Board

Working Group leads:

Environment: Andy McKay

People (land use): Tina Pope

Land (secure): Keith Johnson

Business model (land subgroup): Pete Handford

Community organisations:

Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki

Paekākāriki Community Board

Paekākāriki Community Trust

Paekākāriki Housing Trust

Ngā Uruora

Friends of the Streams

Paekākāriki Orchards and Gardens

Wellington Gateway Group

Grow Paekākāriki

Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club

Crown agencies:

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA)

Department of Conservation (DoC)

Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)

Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Housing New Zealand 

Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC)

Kiwirail

Walking Access Commission

QEII National Trust

 

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