Public opposition to the Tauranga City Council's decision to cease its engagement with a park gifted to it is the focus of a public meeting on Wednesday.
The three hectare Sydenham Park Brookfield was donated free to the city as long as it was kept as a park, but Tauranga City Councillors no longer want to pay $30,000 a year to mow the lawns.
Graham Dyer and the kauri plantation.
The park is home to one of the world's few public kauri collections and the council's decision threatens its future.
'The arrangement is: the land is owned by the estate of Frank Sydenham, and to be administered by the trust,” says former Tauranga Botanic Gardens Trust chairman Richard Hart.
'There were all sorts of rumours and conspiracies about how that works, so part of the public meeting is to really have that out in the public so people know how that arrangement works.
'Council can't do what they want, it's not their land to sell – they have the use of the land in perpetuity provided they maintain it as a botanical park.
'The council is threatening to drop it, and that's the purpose of the public meeting.
'Various people have rung me because of my past involvement and I have said I would arrange a public meeting.”
The kauri collection contains 14 of the 21 known species of which the New Zealand kauri, Agathis Australis is only one.
'We went to the city council about 15 years ago and said there are no collections of kauri in Southeast Asia or the Pacific,” says Graham.
'There's one in Holland, indoors.
'I think about 1998 we had quite a few plants available.
'The city gave us Sydenham Gardens and we started planting about six years ago.
'They are doing extremely well – the conditions are very good for their growing and the results are down there at the moment.
'Everything's been on track until the city wants to ditch the project; we are very concerned.
'We've spent a lot of money, and we've got quite a bit of documentation here that they were a partner to it.
'It's not a legal agreement we have got, but we have a series of documents – we are very concerned they want to walk away.”
The early plantings are now eight metres with the newer plantings about two metres.
The meeting is being held to galvanise people to make annual plan submissions opposing the council decision, says Richard.
'The community went quite a way down the track, for example the Graham Dyer kauri trees.
'Arbour Care, a city partner, has been gifting a lot of work in there over the last five years at no charge to the city.
'We had a couple of working bees; there is quite a community of interest.”
The meeting will be at the Brookfield Primary School hall which is next door, at 7.30pm on March 30.
17 comments
Accuracy for clarity
Posted on 28-03-2011 12:08 | By Murray.Guy
Early 2001 the Council was last on a list of potential benefactors, including local education facilities. Council of the day agreed to take responsibility for the Sydenham land on the understanding it would be at no cost to the wider community through their rates, max $5000 per year. This was recognising the fact that extensive local reserves existing close by and that the size and location of the Sydenham was not ideal. It was to be maintained and funded by an independent trust (similar to Quarry Park). The trust was established and work began. Elected members were subsequently advised that the trust no longer felt safe, no longer wished to be responsible for the land. Elected members are advised the Kauri Trees can be quite successfully relocated to a more appropriate site. Once again the goodwill of Council and facts are abused to better ensure benefits for a few.
Gifted
Posted on 28-03-2011 14:03 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
It is lovely that people/Trusts do donate items to the community BUT imagine if the Council has to maintain all these donations. Hopefully the Trust at Sydenham Gardens can work like TePuna Quarry park, it is a wonderful area to visit.
Meetings and more meetings
Posted on 28-03-2011 16:38 | By al pillocksworth
A few years ago there were meetings about this place and a trust set up, which promptly folded. Now they want ratepayers to pick up the tab. When are people going to realise we're in a major recession.
Posted on 28-03-2011 16:42 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Here is a great opportunity for a concerned ratepayer to do a DEAL with the council. Something on the lines of: WIPE MY RATES, and I will maintain the park. This could be applied to every park and piece of public ground in the city. - Hows that for reducing your rates, reducing the number of council employees, wages, equipment etc
Sydenham, Gardens
Posted on 28-03-2011 17:02 | By Glen Clova
The council has just spent millions on a club at the Mount for something like 300 members and cant afford a piddley wee park for the people at Brookfield sick, but of course it is Brookfield and they dont need anything like that.I wonder if the park was in Matua or the Mount or some other high income suburb would it be dumped.I doubt it
$30k per annum?
Posted on 28-03-2011 22:55 | By tibs
Is it possible to get a breakdown of this $30,000 per year for mowing grass, please? I mean that's about $576 per week. But as it's unlikely to need mowing weekly and if done fortnightly, then it's over a grand a pop! I wonder if it's mowed by a City Partner? If it is, the a portion of that cost will be being given for free somewhere else in the city. Also is the Arbor care "free" tree surgery services supplied under the City Partner scheme. Apart from all that, I've lived here for quite a time and din't know about this reserve, but knowing about it, would make it a great place to take visitors to show them a collection of kauri. I wonder how many other such hidden gems there are?
Volunteers are ready
Posted on 29-03-2011 00:01 | By GrassRoots
Council wants to save us mowing costs on a public park. Isn't that very frugal of them? Until we look at some of their current projects: Mount hot pool expansion $7.5million (can't get resource consent), Baypark Arena $41million and the proposed Strand upgrade $15million to name a few. Funding these grand projects during a recession means our elected members are cutting every city cost they can get away with, including disposing of parks! Sydenham Park is a large 3 hectare park on a busy main road. It is surrounded by primary schools, kindergartens and day cares because thousands of families live in the area. Brookfield Shopping Centre is right across the street and the park is a perfect location for local families and the wider community to sit, relax and admire the goodwill of a few for the benefit of many.
sheep
Posted on 29-03-2011 09:11 | By Mr bay
maybe the Council could run a few sheep here, could even make some money that way.....and put it toward the strand redevelopment.
Park budget
Posted on 29-03-2011 23:26 | By GrassRoots
According to council supplied documents "the parks budget allowance is $30,000 but actual maintenance costs are less than this". Arbor care has been donating their tree services as part of the city partners scheme. Development of the park can easily be covered by fundraising and volunteers so councils contribution only needs to be mowing it every now and then (grass doesn't grow much in winter so $5000 should cover this- @Murray). Free trees have been offered, even free signs. Do we really need to be having this argument at all?
Public Meeting 7pm
Posted on 29-03-2011 23:34 | By GrassRoots
FYI- According to host Richard Hart the public meeting actually starts at 7pm Wednesday (not 7.30). Or there's always the park website: savethispark.blogspot.com
Only $30,000
Posted on 30-03-2011 17:36 | By THE PELICAN BRIEF
That is the problem, if the budget was $300,000 or $3,000,000 then TCC would increase the spend (like Mt Hot Pools spending $2-3m on a failed plan to build massage rooms etc). The meeting should be about how to make as big a loss as possible so as TCC will not be able to say 'NO'
FAILED MT HOT POOL BUDGET
Posted on 31-03-2011 21:36 | By TERMITE
The Hot Pools additions planned of massage rooms and so on has cost ratepayers some $2.5m+ and failed, just a fraction of that money would achieve so much more towards preserving and promoting NZ native florna. $2.5m+ went west so easily yet a mere $30k can not be spent?
The Want of Other Peoples money is the root of all evil
Posted on 03-04-2011 12:42 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
This is a lot of squabbling over money that belongs to other people, and must be STOLEN from them before it can be spent. Just imagine if instead of taking your money by FORCE, council let you KEEP your money (apart from what it costs to provide the NECESSITIES of a civilised city - ie water, rubbish roads) and spend it in the community (cos thats where you live) on things of your OWN CHOICE - then we would not need to be squabbling about how we would like to spend the STOLEN LOOT But NO! - you all insist on having a say in how other people spend their money, and THAT is the ROOT of ALL YOUR PROBLEMS
User Pays
Posted on 03-04-2011 17:22 | By GrassRoots
@ Brilleaux, Based on your theory of stolen loot the city would have core infrastructure only. Libraries, parks, pools, community halls and all the other facilities council provides would slowly disappear. This is because although people enjoy using these facilities, they would only be willing to pay a minimal fee which would simply not cover the entire cost. I do agree that some current council projects are way over the top when they are already $360million in debt. Death and taxes my friend, both are inevitable.
RIGHT IN PART
Posted on 04-04-2011 09:07 | By THE PELICAN BRIEF
@ brilleaux ... I believe most "pay" for the rubbish on top of the HUGE rates bills, So we are down to "essential functions" as being Water, sewerage and roading. I would rather have my money and decide on what I spend it on rather than some 'i know best for you' official trying to think past the above the necessities of the above three items.
A request to the Mayor on another page
Posted on 04-04-2011 17:10 | By Lostzone
I have some serious questions to ask ! 1) do you think the citizens are thick? 2)are you thick? 3)where do you get the figure of $30k from? 4) why is "'There is always a legal component to it,” says Stuart." ? 5) are you "honestly" sincere about listening to and working with the citizens of Tauranga? (Other than during the lead up to elections). Mayor here is a genuine offer to TCC.I will work with other genuinely concerned citizens (as seen by their actions and labour of love)towards setting up the appropriate systems/process's to carry out the maintenance of the park. Here is a very quick estimate of what the mowing & edges may come to. Lets say mowing 3 times a month for 8mths. Each mow takes 5hrs @ $80/hr = $9600+GST= $11040. Now I accept that I am not a professor of maths & I could be a little out. But $20k?? Come on tell us what else there is Stu ..! "Citizens Monitoring Council" N Barker
No Drama
Posted on 05-04-2011 23:28 | By GrassRoots
@ Lostzone It has now been acknowledged by council staff that actual yearly mowing costs are under $10,000. Some years have included a bit extra for fence repairs, etc. The $30,000 allocated budget is not what it costs to run. I think councillors are more afraid of development costs to do a full blown botanical park and the subsequent rise in maintenance costs from this also. Council just needs to set up a group to fundraise and organise volunteers. Whats the drama?
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