Goals
Our ecosystems and biodiversity are understood, protected and restored
Our parks and landscapes bring people together to celebrate our cultures and heritage
People experience and enjoy Dunedin’s parks and open spaces, while also respecting their special and unique qualities
Priorities
Protecting and caring for our special places
- Restoring and enhancing our native biodiversity, ecosystems and habitats
- Restoring and enhancing our coastline and waterways
- Developing a network of parks and open spaces that maintains wilderness areas for natural habitats
Telling our stories and histories in our parks and landscapes
- Encouraging events and activities that align to the parks and landscape function and values
- Celebrating our unique cultural, natural and built heritage
Managing parks, landscapes, flora and fauna to adapt to and mitigate projected climate change impacts
- Understanding how our environments and inhabitants will be affected in the future and developing action plans for how we manage them
Planting appropriate vegetation in parks and open spaces
- Caring for and improving native vegetation and habitats through weed and pest management, planting programmes and partnerships with landowners
| Open space actions to be led by Council | Working with | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Integrated with Te Ao Tura – Dunedin’s Environment Strategy, develop a citywide biodiversity and ecological plan to identify ecological corridors and to increase the ecological role of open spaces in the city |
DOC, Forest and Bird, Kāi Tahu, private landowners, Otago University, Yellow- Eyed Penguin Trust, Otago Peninsula Trust | ☑ | ☑ | |
| 2. Tell stories of our heritage throughout our parks and open spaces network, including through place names, interpretation, artwork and memorials |
Kāi Tahu, DOC, ORC, Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Heritage New Zealand, Pouhere Taonga | ☑ | ☑ | ☑ |
| 3. Build on existing research to establish how the planning, design and management of our parks and open spaces can adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change |
Kāi Tahu, DOC, ORC, Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Heritage New Zealand, Pouhere Taonga | ☑ | ☑ | |
| 4. Review existing Council operational policy, e.g. weed management, Pest Control Policy, Volunteer Policy, SmokeFree Policy to ensure they deliver on strategic objectives |
DOC, Forest and Bird, Kāi Tahu, Predator Free Dunedin | ☑ | ||
| 5. Develop planting guidelines to facilitate the establishment of native ecosystems and increase biodiversity values of public open space and private land | DOC, Forest and Bird, Kāi Tahu, private landowners, Orokonui Ecosanctuary, Landscape Connections Trust | ☑ | ||
| 6. Develop a Dunedin urban forest plan to promote the contribution trees make to the city and the wider environment and to develop a coordinated approach to planting trees in the city and neighbourhoods |
DOC, Forest and Bird, Kāi Tahu, Landscape Connections Trust, Good Food Dunedin | ☑ | ☑ | ☑ |
| 7. Develop eco-tourism management plans for unique habitats and environments, including beaches and coastlines, that have high levels of visitors | DOC, ORC, Otago University, Enterprise Dunedin, SmokeFree Otago, tourism operators | ☑ | ☑ |