Gulf News Article of 5 August 2010

Ranger moving on from dotterels, bellbirds and happy campers

After more than a decade managing and developing Whakanewha’s Regional Park into a well-used and successful island institution, Andy Spence is leaving his post as one of the park’s two rangers and standing for election to Waiheke’s first Local Board. He says he almost stood at the last election and, three years on, he feels he has finished what he wanted to do at Whakanewha. It’s a track record that has included making it possible for the endangered wading dotterels to successfully breed on the sands at Whakanewha and a predator eradication programme which enabled bellbirds to be released into the wild in the park earlier this year. Five birds are known to be still feeding there regularly. “The vision I had has come to fruition and it has taken a lot of skills,” says the park ranger whose science background includes an honour’s degree in zoology and an early career in secondary school teaching. Before coming to Whakanewha, he worked with the Department of Conservation in Wanganui for seven years, including time developing the first conservation management strategy there, and he says he has had “a lot to do with paperwork” in his career. On the island, he developed the park’s first management plan, which included the popular camp site, and worked with the community to get the park acknowledged and used. Dozens of people have worked on the community task force contributing to the park and the camp site is now recognised as one of the top camp sites in the country. “It is certainly a triumph,” he says. Over the years the park has been developed – with a lot of weed management – from a downgraded piece of ‘potential’ into what is now acknowledged as one of the loveliest parks in the region, he says. As a local board member, he says he would want to see the city council have respect and ‘a listening’ for the Waiheke local board and that the board would have the ear of a council “that knows that the local board has the people of the community behind it”. “The Auckland election will be the most important one most of us will ever see,” he says. “All across the Auckland region, communities will be facing changes and upheavals. I think those of us on Waiheke know the challenges we face pretty well and already have a fair idea of what needs doing.” While many people have expressed justifiable concerns about the restructuring of Auckland, especially in view of the many issues still left unresolved, or at least unexplained, he takes a more optimistic view. “I know the Super City restructuring is unsettling for many of us and we may well find ourselves having to work with things that are not perfect for us, but here at community level we are stuck with it and have to give it our best efforts to make it work. “Besides, when was the last time you met someone who thinks Auckland is fantastically well run under the present system? I believe that Waiheke has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show just how well we can run our own affairs and how loud and clear our voices can be. This little island has shown, time and time again through voter turn out, that we are the most politically engaged part of Auckland. The inevitable confusion that will follow the upcoming election will leave large amounts of political power up for the taking. If Waiheke can bring a big enough bucket to the party then I think we’d be amazed how much of it we can bring home. “We have an extraordinary range of experts on the island. I know we want something out of this that is sustainable for the future. So far, the process towards the Super City has been developed on a basis of economics and it would be up to the board working as a team to add to that agenda,” he says. “We want this community, which is just so vibrant; which has so many world leaders and groups, to move forward in a sustainable way.” He said it would be important that current regional council chairman and Rocky Bay resident Mike Lee had the support of the community in his bid for a seat on the new Auckland Council to represent the Gulf and central city, which makes up the Waitemata Ward. “That would help for our voice to be heard in the deliberations,” he says. Despite the concerns over the Super City, he says he believes there is a genuine desire for communities to take more responsibility for their own direction. “That is what I am going to work on; that is the avowed intent and that is what we want to take with us. It is a positive opportunity. “If we can demonstrate that we are able to present and promote local democracy, we will be worthy of receiving further delegations.” He describes himself as one who likes the practical results and says the board will be a test of the elected group’s ability to take useful note of all of the opinions of the island’s groups. “I wouldn’t want to pretend I know all the answers,” he says. The long-time park ranger also has a lengthy and memorable involvement in local performing arts. “For me, the arts in all their many forms are what the human side of Waiheke is all about. You see the sun come up on this place each morning and what can you do but paint, sculpt, play, or in my own case, dance and sing. “We are at a moment in time with huge and life changing resource and economic challenges worldwide. Waiheke has the opportunity to demonstrate to the world or at least New Zealand how to develop new ways of living sustainably with respect for our environment. “And the beach is only a five minute walk away.” • Liz Waters