Then and Now: Belmont Regional Park, Wellington

Belmont Regional Park covers 3,500 hectares between the Hutt Valley and Porirua, and the Park Management plan was a pioneering example of open space planning. Frank Boffa shares his perspective on this milestone project; and the long-term relationship with Greater Wellington Regional Council that grew from it.

During the early 1970’s, the Wellington Regional Planning Authority carried out extensive investigations directed towards the establishment of a Regional Park system for the Wellington Region. Following an agreement from the Minister of Lands to include the Waitangirua Farm Settlement Block within a regional park system, the Belmont area being central to the Wellington, Porirua and Hutt Valley urban areas, the newly established Boffa Jackman office was engaged in 1974 to assist with the park planning and in conjunction with Regional Planning and Department of Lands & Survey staff, to prepare a Management Plan for Belmont Park.

Subsequent to the preparation of the Management Plan in 1977 and recognising the need to establish access to and some initial public facilities within the Park, Boffa Jackman were retained to work with the respective local authorities, land owners and interest groups. At the time, the Wellington Regional Planning Authority was an advisory organisation with no direct access to funds for development. Fortunately, during those early park development years Sir Michael Fowler, an architect and chair of the Regional Planning Authority, a charismatic person who was totally committed to the establishment of the park, managed to secure local authority participation and funding. In addition, Central Government had a Project Employment Programme (PEP) from which funds for labour and material could be sourced for approved public works and recreation projects.

Boffa Jackman planned, managed and supervised the early development works carried out under the Project Employment Programme on behalf of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority. In recent years, the ongoing work on Regional Parks has been carried out internally by the Greater Wellington Regional Council who have their own landscape, parks and recreation staff.

Notwithstanding this, Boffa Miskell have continued to work with the Greater Wellington Regional Council on a consulting basis for a range of park and recreation projects. Other projects include river flood plain investigations, management plans and specific river and estuarine projects.

More recently Boffa Miskell continues to assist the Greater Wellington Regional Council on strategic and policy work relative to RMA provisions and in particular associated with the coastal environment, outstanding natural features and landscapes, open spaces and recreation, ecological, heritage and planning studies.