BBO were engaged by Waipa District Council to review and update the provisions of the Waipa District Plan relating to protection of the Maungatautari Ecological Island. Andrew McFarlane led the planning input into development of the Plan Change.
Maungatautari Mountain is a native forest covered andesitic volcano comprising approximately 3400 hectares. With completion of a 47km pest proof perimeter fence in 2006, Maungatautari became the largest in-land ecological island in Australasia. Native wildlife such as the Kiwi and Kaka have since been reintroduced onto the mountain for the first time in 100 years. What makes this planning project so challenging is the alignment of the perimeter fence, which sits predominantly on private property.
BBO were engaged to review the Environmental and Heritage Lot provisions of the Waipa District Plan and to explore landowner incentives for the continued protection of Maungatautari Ecological Island infrastructure. This included but was not limited to, ongoing protection of the perimeter pest proof fence. This resulted in the preparation of Plan Change 56.
BBO played a coordinating role in the consultation process which included recognising the needs of the various stakeholder groups and understanding the impacts of the perimeter fence on day-to-day farming activities. From this, BBO developed a suite of win-win incentives (in the form of the Plan Change) which acknowledged the voluntary input of landowners and facilitated the long-tern protection of Ecological Island Infrastructure. The provisions of the Plan Change became operative in May 2009.