General Policies Reserve Management Plan (RMP)
Our General Policies Reserves Management Policy (RMP) needs to be reviewed every ten years and Waikato District Council want your feedback.
In May 2022 we asked the community for their ideas and suggestions about what they wanted to see in the RMP. We considered all suggestions carefully, and where possible included these in the new draft RMP.
Key changes include:
- A new Reserve Values section including:
- Relationship with Mana Whenua
- Relationship with volunteers
- Climate change, fire risk and natural hazards
- Sustainable practices
- Inclusion of new technology, such as drones and vapes
- Update to the Reserve Naming process
- Update to the Authorisation and Approvals section (e.g. leases and licences).
The General Policies RMP has now been adopted. It is currently being graphically designed and will be published on the website on it's completion.
The Reserves Act 1977 requires all RMPs to be reviewed continuously to ensure the policies are appropriate and relevant for the communities which they serve.
A comprehensive review is intended to take place every ten years.
The review will capture the current status of the reserve, establish goals and objectives for the future, communicate how those goals and objectives are prioritised and how they will be met.
Direction for the day-to-day management and practices across all the reserves administered by the Waikato District Council. For example: leasing, drone operating, events, signage etc.
Clear objectives and directions for planning, management and maintenance of public open space for both Council staff and the public.
Parks outside of the Waikato District Council's boundary.
Bylaws.
Regional parks not owned by Waikato District Council, including Department of Conservation-owned parks.
Concept plans for specific park developments.
All parks within the Waikato Districts Boundary that the local board makes decisions on, including:
Parkland subject to both the Reserves Act and the Local Government Act 2002
Air above parklands (such as drone radius from the parkland)
The General Policies RMP outlines management policies for all reserves within the district.
Other parks-specific RMPs are to be read in conjunction with the General Policies RMP.
Where there is a conflict between the specific policies contained within other parks RMPs and the general policies contained within this plan, the specific policies in the relevant other parks RMPs will take precedent.
The consultation process is undertaken in two rounds:
Pre-engagement: we will invite members of the public to provide comments and suggestions relating to what they want to see included in the current plan. Pre-engagement will be open for comments for four weeks. A draft plan will be developed from teh comments and suggestions received.
Consultation on the Draft Plan: we will ask the public to provide feedback (submissions) on what is in the draft plan. This period will be open for two months.
Public feedback is incorporated into the drafting of the plan.
After consultation on the document is completed, a hearing will be held for submitters to have the opportunity to speak in support of their submissions.
The Hearings Panel (TBC) make the final decision on matters.
