Whitireia Park

The residents of Titahi Bay think Whitireia Park is great and any development should be minimal and low impact. The park should always be a public good and available for everyone to use.

Likes
• Access to the park
• The beach and coast
• The native scrub and bush
• The views from the park
• The increasing number of native bird species that are returning
• The present network of walkways
• The historic sites

Dislikes

• The invasive plants
• Vehicles on the walking and heritage areas
• Uncontrolled gorse and other noxious weeds
• Loss of walking area due to uncontrolled weeds
• Litter, vandalism, tagging and other graffiti

Opportunities

• Having a large coastal park within the Bay
• Having a park that is largely undeveloped
• A park that is rich in heritage
• Transfer of control of the park from Department of Conservation (DOC) to GWRC

Concerns

• Protecting the heritage sites within the park
• Controlling invasive plants
• Management of stock on the park
• Lack of security for people and property
• Management of vehicle use
• Protecting regenerating native plants from stock and people
• Transfer of control of the park from Department of DOC to GWRC

Proposed Actions

Create a management plan that focuses on public access, traffic, stock, preserving heritage sites   and managing weeds on the park to ensure that Whitireia Park is available for future generations.

Improve the existing toilet block and build another.

Enforce rules regarding vehicle use.

Improve the coastal walking track to facilitate buggy and wheelchair access where possible.

Plant specific native species to attract native birds.

Replace invasive exotic plants with native species.

Provide interpretive signs about heritage sites in the park.

Residents support the Friends of Whitireia organisation.