The Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA)
recently worked with the community to develop a shared vision for Great
Barrier Island. Their objectives were to define the values of the island
(natural, social, cultural and recreational); to identify stakeholders’
aspirations for the island; and to define principles for development.
They carried
this out in a very comprehensive manner. CRESA included an analysis of
census statistics and past reports, interviews with on-island residents
and off-island property owners, focus groups and workshops with various
interest groups both on and off the island, and interviews and meetings
with local and central government officers in DOC, the ARC and Auckland
City. They sent out surveys to both on-island residents and off-island
ratepayers and distributed three reports for comment. Finally they put
together a draft Vision Statement and invited the community to drop-in
sessions to view this and discuss any points with them. This then went
to the key agencies for comment and inclusion in their planning
processes, and the final Vision Statement is now available.
So what are
the results? Here are some quotes from the Island Values (section 3):
"The
community: The community is valued for its diversity, independence,
resourcefulness and people’s care for one another…
The natural
environment: The island’s natural environment is highly valued for its
island status, the existing ecological values, the diversity of
landscape and scenic beauty, the island’s freedom from possums and its
potential to be pest free. The island’s substantial size adds to its
special significance ...large scale protection programmes are possible,
providing lessons for mainland activities…
Cultural
heritage: Culture and heritage values on the island range from early
Maori history, to early European economic activity and settlement, to
ecological heritage values… Specific heritage values include signs of
Ngati Rehua’s association with GBI over many centuries. These include
numerous archaeological sites such as pa (with defensive and habitation
features), agricultural and settlement sites (with still visible
terracing, storage pit depressions and deposits of food waste or ‘midden’),
and stone-working sites…
Recreational
opportunities: The island’s natural marine and land-based environment
provides many recreational opportunities, including
boating, diving, fishing, bush walking and tramping, hunting and, of
course, swimming and other beach activities…"
Current
Trends are outlined in Section 4. It will come as no surprise that
‘population decline’ is the major of these and is seen by the community
as ‘possibly leading to contraction in the local economy, loss of
services and stalling of infrastructure development’. The other main
topic here is ‘growth in the visitor industry’. That is viewed as
positive if managed to benefit the island and maintain island lifestyles
but not if it impacts on the GBI lifestyle, the number of vacant houses
and has effects on living costs.
So how does
the island view itself in the future? Just what do people envisage for
themselves? The vision is covered in detail in section 5 titled: Where
do we want to be in the future? Here is the full text on the first
point, a stable population base:
"A stable
population base: Great Barrier Island will attract people, including
families, as permanent residents because the local community:
• is vibrant
and diverse
• supports
and values a resourceful arts and culture sector (including events)
• invests
time and resources into integrated community development
• has access
to a reasonable infrastructure and range of services.
The size and
composition of the permanent resident population is sufficient to
support the development and maintenance of reasonable services and
infrastructure. That population size (i.e. a stable population) is
estimated to be around 1,500."
The entire
list of desirable attributes sought by the community is:
-
A stable population base
-
Infrastructure / services /
information meets the needs of local residents and visitors
-
A viable economy and job
opportunities
-
Protection of the natural
environment, including the coastal and marine environment:
-
Protection of heritage and
cultural values
-
Preservation of the
existing community character
-
Availability of a range of
recreational opportunities
Again no
surprises here (it is a bit like ‘motherhood’ and ‘apple pie’, no one
will disagree with these) but the detail is interesting. So here is a
sampling from some of the other points:
"Infrastructure / services / information meets the needs of local
residents and visitors includes an innovative education environment that
includes on-island secondary schooling options, a state-of-the-art
distance education system, a minimum of three primary schools, a Kohanga
Reo and a range of pre-schools; an information network that establishes
the island as an innovative IT user and provides the platform for
distance learning and distance working…
A viable
economy and job opportunities includes the development of Great Barrier
Island as a high value destination for domestic and international
visitors; assessment of the economic value of conferring a special
status on some of the island (e.g. like a world heritage area) to
protect the values that residents and others prize; development of a
range of tourism products and amenities sympathetic to the natural
environment…
Protection of
the natural environment, including the coastal and marine environment:
One step is a restored and pest free natural environment. Total pest
eradication, particularly of feral cats and rats, will further enhance
the benefits that the island’s current possum free status gives to bush
cover and the viability of some species. The pest free status will also
enable the island to be marketed as a unique eco-tourism destination, as
pest-free islands of the size of GBI are a rarity internationally and
could provide research and education possibilities…
Preservation
of the existing community character: The community, although
considerably larger, retains the characteristics that local people and
others value: independence, self-reliance, resourcefulness, diversity
and optimism. Other characteristics, like ‘community care for their
own’, are also evident. ….parochialism and non-cooperativeness, are
overcome to the extent that the local community works together and with
others to achieve the economic growth and infra-structural development
they desire and protection of island characteristics they value."
The full
document is too long to reprint here so you can download it as a .pdf
file (this is a quick format for download) off the CRESA web site
www.cresa.co.nz or go and look at a paper copy at the Auckland City
centre in Claris.
The GBI
Community Board is at present looking at the feasibility of picking this
work up and developing the next stage, an action plan. This would be a
great outcome and mean that an impressive survey of islander, ratepayer
and agency opinion and knowledge does not just sit on the shelf – it
results in realisation of at least some of the community’s ideas.
