Chairperson’s report for Devonport Heritage

For the Annual General Meeting– 13/11/2024

Early in the year we received the good news that we had convinced Auckland Council to retain the highest heritage listing for a number of Devonport historic properties.

Council had planned to reduce five significant properties to the B schedule of Historic Heritage Places – but after our extensive submission they changed their minds.

So the Mays Building and the Devonia Building in Victoria Road; 9 Mays Street; Duder House at 11 Church Street and St Paul’s Church will remain as Scheduled A buildings.

In January we hosted a group from Historic Houses Association of Australia who were over from Sydney and gave them a tour of Devonport.

Intensification

It seems that every time we think we have put Plan Change 78 to rest, the Government makes another move to force intensification on Auckland’s special character areas (SCA).

MDRS, the plan that would allow three homes of three storeys on sites everywhere in Auckland, was postponed in June and may be gone for good.

We had spent thousands of hours and expense on submissions to argue that SCAs should be exempt from the plan. The tragic flooding of early 2023 forced the Government to think again.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop clearly has no sympathy for heritage protection. He is now working on a proposal to allow granny flats to be built on all residential sites without resource consent.

He is also involved in the RMA reforms and has openly said he doesn’t think councils should be able to use resource consents to apply blanket heritage protections on suburbs.

It seems there is still a long road ahead fighting for a continuation of the heritage protections that have kept Devonport’s character so intact.

Huge Threat to Heritage

Our sister organisation the Character Coalition is appealing an Environment Court decision that will allow a classic Epsom bungalow to be demolished despite it being in an SCA.

If the decision is allowed to stand it will create a precedent and put at risk the whole principle of heritage protection. It will give Councils a green light to deal with all future applications to demolish houses in SCA’s on a non-notified basis and grant them. The first that people in a SCA will know of it is when the wreckers arrive and demolition begins. The eventual result will be the destruction of our SCA’s from ‘death by a thousand cuts.’

The Coalition needs to raise $50,000 to fund the legal costs and we urge people to give what they can at the following link:

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/protect-aucklands-character-homes-and-environments

The Esplanade

We have continued with our campaign to encourage the owners of this historic hotel to carry out much needed maintenance. We have written to the directors of Sun Aohua NZ Ltd at their home addresses but have received no replies.

We have also complained about the state of the building to Auckland Council’s heritage unit and Heritage NZ and are still awaiting responses.

We will not the matter rest as the Esplanade is too iconic and precious to be allowed to deteriorate further.

Car Parking Plan

Mid-year an Auckland Transport plan to introduce paid parking along King Edward Parade and adjacent side streets brought a lot of attention to the heritage issue.

Trish Deans was interviewed on national breakfast TV and RNZ and the issue was covered by Stuff.news.

We strongly opposed the plan which would mean pay machines and more signage along one of the best waterfront promenades in Auckland.

We presented to the council’s Transport Committee, calling for AT to do far more research before embarking on such a badly thought-out proposal.

Subsequently they have decided to lower the price of parking along Queens Parade and will monitor the situation for 3 months before proceeding or cancelling their initial plan.

The Future

Our committee remains the same: Margot McRae and Trish Deans (also treasurer) as co-chairs, Avril Cowie as secretary, with members - Bruce Grant, Bernice Beachman, Chris Clouston, Jan Dickens and Clare Smythe.

We are also in the early stages of planning to make a documentary on the history of Devonport.

Margot McRae
Co Chairperson
Devonport Heritage

November 2024