Heritage Indicators (what we measure)

Overview

Heritage refers to things of historic value, including buildings, possessions, and culture that have been passed on to us by previous generations. There are a number of sites in the district that contain heritage values; including:

• The Te Aroha Character Area, which is a unique array of historic buildings and places.
• Historic buildings and places that are registered under the Historic Places Trust Register and within the District Plan.
• Archaeological sites that contain features such as middens and pa sites.
• Culturally significant sites, including pa sites, urupa (burial site), and marae.

Our Situation

Development in the district can result in pressure to inappropriately use and develop heritage and cultural sites. The Te Aroha Character Area has a special zoning to protect its unique buildings and places. From 2000/01 – 2008/09 there have only been four resource consents applied for (and granted) to substantially modify scheduled buildings in the Te Aroha Character Area. These have mainly related to altering the appearance of buildings by the addition of signage or decks.

Only one new building has been granted consent to be constructed within the Te Aroha Character Area during the period 2000/01 – 2005/06. However two consents were granted in the 2006/07 financial year to develop structures in the Character Area. One structure was a covered outdoor area for a hotel and the other was a garage.There were no consents granted to construct within the Te Aroha Character Area in 2007/08 or 2008/09

Since 2000/01, six resource consents have been granted to modify listed heritage features outside the Te Aroha Character Area. The most recent consent application was granted in 2008/09. This was for the removal of the Thames Valley Power Board building in Matamata. Council worked through conditions for this consent with the Matamata Historical Society and a condition was placed that if the building is removed then a monument is to be built in its place.

The number of resource consents applied for and granted involving sites that contain or adjoin a culturally significant site has been very low, between 2003/04 and 2008/09 there have been no applications. No resource consent applications for this activity have been declined during this period.

There are 87 listed heritage features in the Matamata-Piako District Plan. These include historic buildings such as churches and commercial buildings, as well as monuments, geological formations, and landing sites. There are 78 other culturally significant sites in the district including urupa (Maori Reservation), pa and midden sites, and marae. One of these culturally significant sites (a pa site) was added to the District Plan in the 2006/07 financial year after a plan change was undertaken.