You probably have, at some point in your life, spent some time in the Domain. Whether you sat under the stars at the symphony, played a game of cricket, or visited the War Memorial Museum, many will have visited or passed through the Domain.
A Premier Park, it was established at the same time Auckland was founded in 1840, but the area has particular Maori history before that. It is the site of an important War Memorial that hosts large crowds on Anzac Day each year, while the museum attracts around 800,000 visitors yearly. The regenerating bush on the slopes below the museum has a number of walking routes through it providing recreational opportunities, and the gardens are maintained for our pleasure. Samoan kilikiti teams play on the cricket fields while evening joggers run through the Domain.
The multiple demands on the Domain requires a fresh approach to how it is managed by Council (with both the governing body and Waitemata Local Board having shared governance). There City Vision elected representatives, Councillor Mike Lee, Waitemata Local Board Member Christopher Dempsey, and Waitemata Local Board Chair Shale Chambers, along with Councillors Michael Goudie Sandra Coney and Waitemata LB Member Rob Thomas are all members of a joint Governing Body / Local Board panel that is reviewing the Domain Management Plan.
The current Plan was written in 1993, and needs updating to reflect current and future demands on the Domain. The general intention is to appropriately manage demand for space within the Domain, while respecting and reflecting the original spirit of the Domain as a premier park. This work is at beginning stages. A draft master plan will be handed to the next Council to work on after the October elections, and a City Vision team will ensure that Waitemata residents get to fully have their say about their beloved Domain.
Christopher Dempsey