Landscaping at the Te Kopua Street property in Acacia Bay part of which is a public reserve that backs onto Lake Taupō. Photo: Supplied
There is a heated debate over whether a private home owner who has heavily landscaped parts of a public reserve backing onto Lake Taupō should be forced to return it to its natural state.
There are also concerns that it is not clear the land is public and for everyone's use.
A Taupō District Council report found landscaping at the Te Kopua Street property in Acacia Bay was not what was discussed to fix damage done during construction.
It concluded the landscaping was inappropriate and created the illusion the land was private and was not freely accessible to the public.
The report said the existing landscaping detracted from the reserve's purpose and it should be reinstated, including new boundary markers.
But that has not happened.
Taupō resident Jane Arnott has been calling on Taupō District Council to take action.
Arnott told Checkpoint the way the area had been landscaped made it difficult to navigate.
"You do have to walk over and through and on top of extensive planting, and we're talking trampling and getting yourself through rocks and boulders that have been placed."
While the landscaping is "stunning", Arnott thinks this is what may have "impressed" council.
She is worried that if the council does not act, others will be encouraged to do the same.
"It may very well be that it's handy and convenient for council to enable this landscaping to continue, as it has done all around the bays and Taupō.
"When we think about people who pay their rates, remain within their boundaries and get on with their life versus those that just managed to extend the property a little bit further and a little bit further... it just doesn't stack up as being fair."
The reserve land is left of the red line, as distinguished by objectors. Photo: Supplied
Arnott said it was not clear at all that the land was actually public, with passersby having to traipse through a heavily planted garden.
"You have to trample through the garden, I've got an old arthritic dog I had to carry her through the garden and over the boulders because she's no longer capable of even navigating that space,"
"There's about 6 metres of planting on a horizontal way and perhaps 6 metres on a vertical way, so it's a big, big area."
She said there was no signage indicating it was public land that was okay to walk through.
"At the beginning of the walkway, there was a big sign pointing out the the walking areas, the tracks, and this is conveniently not included in that signage in the cul-de-sac."
Arnott said that homeowners utilising public land had long been a "perpetual" problem.
In terms of what she wants done to the land, she said she agreed with a report by a Taupō district council employee.
"She recommended reinstatement of the reserve, instalment of new boundary markers, signage to be erected noting that any removal or wilful damage will be a breach of the Reserves Act and updating signs at the reserve entrance."
The Taupō District Council said it was currently exploring a district-wide policy to manage cases of private homeowners doing additional maintenance or creating structures on reserve land.
The council has previously entered into bespoke arrangements to ensure public access while recognising the care taken by these homeowners.
This has included installing boundary markers to clearly define public and private areas and adding signage; while ensuring any additional work is at the homeowner's expense and with the council's approval.
However, the council said, these cases did not set a precedent.
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