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Victoria Road
Auckland, Auckland, 0624
New Zealand
Devonport Heritage 2017, an incorporated society formed in 2017, promotes heritage and sustainable development in Devonport.
The New Zealand Herald has a full two page spread in today's paper, timed to co-incide with the Auckland Heritage Festival
"They are buildings and houses which help tell the story of Auckland - but how many will survive a planning rulebook designed to squeeze more people in?"
The Herald continues it's excellent articles on the possible outcomes the Unitary Plan will have on our heritage housing. Devonport Heritage has been strongly advocating on this subject appearing at numerous plan hearings. This continues work we have been doing for over 20 years to ensure our area's character is not diluted.
Good information on what you need to know about trees on your property. Please notethe article is is incorrect when it quotes that you weren't previously allowed to even prune a protected tree. This work was allowed with a resource consent, which was free from Council fees and allowed for up to 20% pruning over a two year period.
http://northshoretimes.realviewdigital.com/?email-analytics=North%20Shore%20Times#folio=1
Check out the NZ Herald's feature on our upcoming film follow up from our first feature in 2013. Margot is hard at work capturing this fantastic heritage story
The 2015 Auckland Heritage Festival is running for 16 days from September 26 - October 11.
The festival features more than 180 events across the region - download the programme now at http://www.heritagefestival.co.nz. There are lots of local events around Devonport and the Shore- check out the Devonport Library, Esplanade Hotel, Devonport Museum, Depot Artspace and more.
In mid 2013 David Barton from the DBA approached Devonport Heritage to talk about the Unitary Plan and the possibility of the two groups making a joint submission to the hearings.
Several things were discussed at these informal chats. Allowing increased heights and building up to 4 storeys was one such subject.
Devonport Heritage said we could not support increasing the height limits because we believed this would harm the heritage ambience of Victoria Road and the business district.
However we did agree for the two groups to hold an evening in spring 2013 for invited people where both groups would do a power point presentation on our vision for the Devonport business area. 'But this was stopped in its tracks when shortly before the meeting Devonport Heritage was told there was not to be a joint presentation. So our views were never heard
We have been very busy doing submissions on several topics for the Untiary Plan hearings and we did not become aware of the scope of the DBA submissions until just before the hearings on Viewshafts and Height Sensitive areas and also on Special/Historic Character and Pre-1944 overlays in June. Negotiating your way through the Unitary Plan website is extremely difficult and the DBA or the BID committee should have helped members and the community by posting their submission on the DBA website or emailing it to members.
This is what most organisations do in order to keep their members informed of their actions.
The DBA and the BID did not do this, which has resulted in member businesses only finding out about the submission made on their behalf when they saw it in the Flagstaff.This is either a terrible oversight or a deliberate attempt to keep the submission under the radar.
Whatever the reason, the DBA clearly does not have the mandate from its members for a submission that calls for the Volcanic cones height sensitive area to be removed from the Devonport business district so that buildings of 12.5 metres can be built as of right.
This submission was not circulated to business members nor to the residents of Devonport and clearly is not supported by most locals.
In view of such strong opposition the DBA should withdraw its submission to the Unitary Plan.
A not to be missed event in this year's Auckland Heritage Week is the premiere of a documentary on the St James Theatre restoration, produced by Margot McRae.
The 50 minute film charts the past year in the life of the much loved historic 1928 theatre after its sale in 2014.
It follows the first steps of the new owner, his heritage advisers and craftspeople as they come to grips with the work needed to restore and reopen the theatre.
Premiering at the St James itself, the film showcases stories from the theatre's past and its present and celebrates the beauty of a theatre which remained controversially closed for seven years.
Get an inside look at the early restoration stages of this treasured historic theatre as it comes to life after years of neglect.
9 October 6pm
10 October 3pm
11 October 3pm
Tickets $12. Bookings essential at mmcrae@xtra.co.nz
more info on the Heritage Festival is available at www.heritagefestival.co.nz
Margot is also continuing to film the progress on the historic Flagstaff House at 33 Mays Street. This featured in our 2013 heritage night called A Tale of Two Houses.
We hope to bring the next instalment in this restoration of this once grand home in 2016.
Ihumatao, is a green open space near the Manukau Harbour at Mangere with unique historical, cultural, spiritual, social and environmental heritage values. A Special Housing Area has been planned in its vicinity.
Save Our Unique Landscape campaign - SOUL are campaigning to remove the Special Housing Area designation from this area. Visit their website for more information or to sign their petition at http://www.soulstopsha.org/ and attending the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 27 August.
Read Dr Elizabeth Aitken-Rose's op-ed on Auckland's heritage in todays NZHerald. Elizabeth is head of the University of Auckland's School of Architecture and Planning.
On August 10 a delegation from Devonport Heritage went along to the monthly hui of the Tūpuna Maunga of Tāmaki Makaurau Authority to voice our concerns over the direction the Independent Hearings Panel is taking on Volcanic View-shafts and Height Sensitive Areas. These two mechanisms have been in place since the 1970s and have largely meant that important views of the volcanic landscape of Auckland have been preserved. Alongside this is the extremely high cultural value of the maunga ( mountains) to tangata whenua, with Co-governance of 14 Auckland Maunga now in place. Read our presentation here Devonport Heritage presentation to hui
Devonport Heritage is disturbed by the implications of an interim decision by the Unitary Plan independent Hearings Panel that special character or historic areas of Auckland may not be eligible for protection under the Unitary Plan.
This view has shocked Auckland's heritage groups who submitted for stronger protection for heritage buildings.
Instead the Hearings Panel says the council planners have erred in changing the terminology for heritage areas from 'character' to 'historic heritage'.
The panel therefore says the overlays that were designed to protect heritage areas will not work unless there are cumbersome plan changes to all these areas.
The panel says the Council and all it's legal advisors have used the incorrect section of the resource management act to achieve protection of historic suburbs.
We are still trying to understand the implications of the panel's decision.
It may simply be a matter of wording change back to 'special character', or it may require the full analysis and plan change that the panel have referred to if the council stand by their present stance.
We feel we have been let down by council and the panel, and also by the weakening of the Resource Management Act that has watered down protection for heritage.
We will keep you posted.
This week has seen two more articles covering the issue of views of Auckland's volcanic cones -click on the links to read:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11479095
http://issuu.com/devonportflagstaffnewspaper/docs/july10devonportflagstaff
This issue is by no means a new one. For a look at how the issue has developed over the last century, read some brief history
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Cwk78od_eCdWxkQjhpTTZyRWs/view?usp=sharing
contemporary cartoon July 1914.
Today Margot McRae, Deputy Chair and spokesperson, made a strong case for retention of the Height Sensitive Area overlay and Volcanic Cones view shafts which for many years have stopped buildings blocking the public's views of Mt Victoria/Takarunga and North Head/Maungauika. We are opposed to the Devonport Business Association and Wallace Flats Ltd one of the property owners, who were represented by Lane Associates Cherie Lane who have submitted that the height limit should be increased to allow up to four stories or 12.5m.
read our full text here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Cwk78od_eCQlNnWDROMXRSVWs/view?usp=sharing
Alfred Sharpe's 1877 painting Devonport and the Waitemata Harbour from the Domain (Ref: C-126-001 Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington http://natlib.govt.records/22825399
Devonport Heritage are sad to announce the death of another of our founding members, Dr Joe Deans. Joe was a stalwart supporter for over 20 years, having been on the committee in the early years, and later supporting Trish, our secretary and former Chair. Our sincerest condolences to Trish and family.
Claudia Page, Chair.
