Town Belt
The Council manages and maintains the Town Belt on behalf of the city's residents. The Council is responsible for over 250 individual reserves and open space properties totalling almost 3,000 hectares.
In 1995/1996 the Council introduced a Town Belt Management Plan to enhance and preserve the area.
Town Belt Management Plan
Outer Green Belt
A management plan for the Outer Green Belt was drawn up in 2003 to guide future management. The Plan has a vision for the entire Outer Green Belt that includes:
- planting natives to eventually create an almost continuous band of forest along the eastern slopes of the hills
- continuing grazing on many of the ridgelines to preserve views and traditional farming landscapes
Outer Green Belt Management Plan
Town Belt Management Plan review 2012
In 2010, the Council approved a draft set of Town Belt guiding principles, which were developed through workshops, discussion with stakeholders, market research and additional research. In December 2011, following public consultation, the Council approved an updated set of guiding principles for the Town Belt.
The Council will now use the principles to guide its review of the Town Belt Management Plan, the Town Belt Reinstatement Policy and any future legislative changes that might be needed.
The draft Town Belt Management Plan was open for public consultation from October to December 2012.
Park rangers
Park Rangers are Council employees who help manage the city's natural areas. They also:
- monitor the Town Belts, sportsgrounds, beaches and coastal areas
- provide advice and help settle conflict
- build and maintain relationships with community groups including dog owners, rural landowners and four-wheel drive owners
- coordinate volunteers and community groups working on reserves, beaches and open spaces.
Town Belt and reserve encroachments
Reserve encroachments are where residents or past property owners have developed their land into the adjoining public reserve or the Wellington Town Belt. Encroachments range in scale and effect, from the minor and easily removed – such as washing lines and children’s play equipment, to access driveways and, in the more extreme cases, to parts of dwellings or landscaping.
Encroachments include vehicle parking and access across Town Belt and reserve lands.
Encroachments are a significant issue for reserves management. The cumulative effect of encroachments considerably reduces the public uses and enjoyment of open space, compromises ecological values, and creates problems with run-off, land subsidence, proliferation of weeds and the dumping of garden waste.
Encroachments provide significant private benefit to property owners and the perceived value of their property. This can create issues for when they come to sell their property. Encroachments are an illegal act, on land which does not belong to private property owners.
Encroachments are in breach of both the Town Belt and Reserves Acts, and the purpose of provision of public open space:
Encroachment policy
The Wellington Town Belt and reserves are recognised as unique and very valuable open spaces in Wellington and require protection against encroachment.
The Wellington City Council approved the encroachment policy in the Management Plans for the Suburban Reserves (2015), Wellington Town Belt (2018), the Outer Green Belt (2019). The policy states:
- encroachments are a prohibited activity
- the Council will resolve the existing encroachments with a view to regaining lost land
- the Council will protect the Town Belt and reserves from new encroachments.
The Council will not dispose of reserve or town belt land to resolve encroachments.
For further information about Town Belt and reserve encroachments, email mark.lindsay@wcc.govt.nz