​13 Davern Lane retains its reserve status

Davern Lane residents. Photo Lisa Kachappilly

13 Davern Lane has retained its reserve status after being considered for sale as a part of Auckland Councils' emergency budget.

After 33 submissions were received on 13 Davern Lane’s reserve status, an independent commissioner assessed the revocation and did not support it.

The commissioner found the site was at the “heart” of the local community that extended beyond the cul-de-sac and would be an ideal location for a small children’s playground.

At the Park, Arts, Community and Events committee on August 11, Whau Local Board chair Kay Thomas presented with concerns that the vote would not get a majority.

“Whau is an area undergoing significant intensification and needs to retain the greenspace we have,” Thomas said.

“Greenspaces are havens for biodiversity, sequestering carbon and mitigating the heat island effect in built-up areas.”

Thomas said that councillors might have felt that those should be considerations for all green spaces in Auckland but the mature native trees in Davern reserve could not be easily replaced.

Cr Pippa Coom asked council staff about the protection mature trees at Davern reserve had.

Eke Panuku Development portfolio specialist Carl May said council could go through a process to protect the trees.

“There are provisions in the unitary plan to protect trees. One could schedule the trees or someone could place a covenant,” May said.

Coom said it needed to be clear what protections council had for the trees.

“What we know is it is quite difficult to do the tree scheduling process.”
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The vote for Davern Reserve to retain its status was unanimously supported by committee members.