ARC completes the jigsaw at Tapapakanga
02 June 2009

A significant wedge of land overlooking parkland and out to the Firth of Thames has become part of Tapakanga Regional Park – an acquisition that is seen as completing the park.

The ARC today announced the purchase of a 26.87 hectare block of land adjacent to this southern park.

“When you look at Tapapakanga Regional Park on a map, you can quite clearly see a triangle-shaped block that is excluded from the park – like the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle,” says Cr Sandra Coney, Chair of the ARC’s Parks and Heritage Committee.

“Importantly, it will enable people to better move across the two ‘wings’ of the park that were formerly barely connected.”

Cr Coney says that the disconnected ‘wings’ of Tapapakanga meant that people largely stayed on one side of the park without realising that the other side existed. People will be able to move more seamlessly across a much greater area.

“It effectively increases the scale of the park, providing longer walks and more views.

“There was also a real risk that someone could have built on the apex of the triangle, which would have put a house on the middle of the park. By purchasing this block, we now have a more natural boundary that extends out to the Orere-Matingarahi Road and protects the park from the effects of development and subdivision in this area,” she says.

The property has a three-bedroom residence and a number of other buildings. These will be assessed to see whether they are appropriate for use for park purposes, including as an accommodation option in the ARC’s Bach Escapes.

It also could create new opportunities for camping. A private camp ground, complete with cabins, once existed at an idyllic stream-side spot on the property.

The park, which now totals 197 hectares, is popular with campers, mountain bikers and day visitors who enjoy picnics, walks and the expansive views of the Firth of Thames. The biennial Splore music and arts festival also draws large numbers of people to Tapapakanga and has created a wider appreciation for the beauty of this park.

“Strategic acquisitions of parcels of land such as this are extremely important,” says Cr Coney. “Not only do they provide more open space for generations to come; they protect significant natural and cultural areas so that we might enjoy them unspoiled and forever.”

Future development of this portion of Tapapakanga Regional Park will be addressed as part of the Regional Parks Management Plan.

This piece of land was purchased for $1,050,000 +gst.

ENDS

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