Waitākere Ranges Local Board invites people to discuss the future of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area at an upcoming forum.
The local board is holding a community forum to talk about how Auckland Council is implementing the 2008 Heritage Area Act, get feedback on work so far and look at opportunities for new initiatives.
The forum – Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa: Standing up for the Waitākere Ranges – is on Thursday 15 October, at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall from 6.00 – 9.30pm.
The keynote speaker will be Te Warena Taua, chair of the Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority.
There will also be presentations and discussion on environmental issues, as well as people’s relationships to the area.
Protecting the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area is a key priority of the 2014 Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan and chair Sandra Coney says it is important for local people to take part in the process.
“Together with iwi and our communities, we act as stewards of the Waitākere Ranges,” she says.
“The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area is unique in New Zealand both for its natural and cultural features and the pressures for change that it faces due to metropolitan Auckland’s rapid growth.
“This community forum will allow people to discover what we have been doing and how they can play a part in protecting and enhancing this cherished place for future generations.”
Waitākere Ranges coast