Find Out More About Mangere Mountain

A BRIEF HISTORY

Mangere Mountain is part of a complex local volcanic field that includes Puketutu Island, Mangere Lagoon and volcanic cones in the area of Ihumatou, which have since been removed through quarrying activities.

The 38.5 ha mountain is one of the largest and best-preserved volcanic cones in the wider Auckland volcanic field. With commanding views over the Manukau Harbour, the mountain was a highly prized major fortified pa during a long period of Māori occupation, but by the mid-18th century the Maori communities were mainly living on the flatlands surrounding the mountain.

In the mid-19th century the Crown confiscated large areas of land in Mangere, including the mountain. The Mangere Road Board requested in 1890 that the area of Mangere Mountain be established as a 95 acre public domain, and from that time until 1968 the Mangere Hill Recreation Ground was administered by the Mangere Domain Board. When Mangere became part of Manukau City, responsibility for the mountain passed to the Manukau City Council. Mangere Mountain is unusual in that the Crown retained ownership rather than transferring it to the iwi collective under the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act Treaty settlement. However, the maunga is administered by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.

Ownership of Mangere Mountain remains with the Crown because Mangere Mountain is subject to a right of first refusal under the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act 1995. The right of first refusal applies to any disposal of Crown land. Waikato-Tainui were consulted about the proposal to vest Mangere Mountain in Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau under the Collective Redress Act 2014 but they did not agree to waive their right of first refusal. Therefore Mangere Mountain could not be vested in Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau.

Regarding right of first refusals, sometimes claimant groups identify Crown land for their settlement that, because of the ongoing operational needs of the landholding agencies, they cannot purchase through the settlement.

In these cases, a right of first refusal may be negotiated to provide the claimant group with an opportunity to purchase Crown properties if they become surplus in the future.

Right of first refusal means that the claimant group has the right to purchase (specified) surplus Crown land at market value, ahead of any other potential purchaser, if the relevant government department decides to sell it within a specified period from settlement date.

SIGNIFICANT ALTERATIONS TO MAUNGA

Quarrying activities occurred on the lower eastern slopes of the mountain for a long period until the 1960s. An access road was built on its lower eastern side. Sports fields have been developed on the eastern side of the mountain. A War Memorial Hall and carpark was established in the north eastern corner on the Mangere Domain in 1955.

INFORMATION ABOUT TREES ON MANGERE MOUNTAIN

The main areas of significant tree planting on Mangere Mountain occurred in the area around the War Memorial Hall and carpark, along Domain Rd, around the playing fields, along the summit walkway track and on the summit of the mountain.

As the result of a policy to eliminate all exotic trees from Auckland's volcanic cones and after obtaining a non-notified Resource Consent from Auckland Council, in March 2019 the Tūpuna Maunga Authority removed 152 significant exotic trees from Mangere Mountain. The most prolific species removed were:

Macrocarpa 44
Poplar 32
Acmena 15
Olive 12

The main areas for tree removal were:

Summit 38
Memorial Hall area 38
Domain Rd 36
Summit walkway 15
Playing field bank 8

Local residents were horrified at the removal of such a large number of large, healthy mature trees. Many large stumps up to 4.0M tall were left on the mountain.

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MAUNGA'S REPLANTING PROGRAMME

As part of the revegetation plan for Mangere Mountain, Tūpuna Maunga Authority proposed the planting of a significant number of native trees and shrubs. Under a LGOIMA ( Official Information ) request Honour the Maunga obtained copies of the Auckland Council Resource Consent for Mangere Mountain. The Planting Plan, contained in the Resource Consent, has been heavily redacted ( blacked out ) making a clarification of the Tupuna Maunga Authority's planting plans impossible.

It is possible to establish an idea of the proposals and subsequent actions from other documents publicly available. From the Auckland Council publication 'Our Auckland' dated 1 March 2019: " Planting 13000 new native trees - From 11 March, arborists will begin the vegetation component of the restoration programme with the removal of approximately 150 exotic trees, before planting around 13000 native trees and shrubs from May to August."

As of May 2020, local residents who visit the mountain on a regular basis advise that less than 10% of these 13000 trees and shrubs have been planted. Some planting of mainly grasses, flaxes and low growing shrubs has occurred on the lower slopes with varying success. A trial method of leaving approximately 200 grasses, flaxes and shrubs in plastic pots pegged to the scoria slopes of the summit of Mangere Mountain has been a total failure with a non-survival rate in excess of 90%. The recent addition of coir matting around the remaining plastic pots appears to be an attempt the save the few plants that have managed to survive the first 12 months.

MAGNIFICANT TREES ON MAUNGA

All the significant trees have been removed from Mangere Mountain. These included Macrocarpa trees with girths up to 6.0M, tall Poplar trees, Moreton Bay Fig Trees and Norfolk Pine trees.

A Commemorative Pine tree grown from a seed from the 'Lone Pine' at Gallipoli was planted near the War Memorial Hall in 2015 but after being damaged by a contractor and receiving inadequate care was removed in 2020.

CONTACT DETAILS MANGERE MOUNTAIN

Email us at: honourthemaunga@gmail.com
Facebook: Respect Mangere Maunga/Te Pane o-Mataoho