Pressures

As with many areas throughout the country a significant amount of the district’s heritage has been lost as the township and surrounding areas have developed over the years. Many heritage resources and values are sensitive to change. With redevelopment, buildings and places with historical importance can be lost or damaged and special features destroyed.

Archaeological sites are particularly vulnerable because they are often unrecorded and not easily identified. Therefore earthworks and development can particularly affect archaeological sites and waahi tapu (sacred sites).

Heritage features, especially buildings can often be expensive to maintain and protect. The building or the land may have a higher value for other purposes and in the past many heritage features have deteriorated or been destroyed for economic reasons.

It is important that the districts remaining heritage features are appropriately protected to ensure that they are not lost through inappropriate development, use, neglect or destruction.

Key Issues

• Development pressures resulting in inappropriate use and development of heritage and cultural sites
• Removal of vegetations and landforms with heritage or cultural value
• Demolition, removal and alteration of historical buildings and features

What is Heritage?

Heritage includes and natural or human created place, area, building, tree or site that is significant to the people of the district and include Maori sacred sites and historic buildings.

State

Historic Buildings and Places

The Historic Places Trust is responsible for maintaining a register of nationally significant historic places and waahi tapu. The New Zealand Historic Places Register identifies 41 items for protection within the Matamata-Piako District.

Six of these items are Class I sites or buildings, which means that they are “places of special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value” (Resource Management Act 1991). Class I sites are fully protected which means other than basic maintenance and repairs they cannot be altered, modified, damaged or destroyed in any way.

The remaining 35 sites on the national heritage register are Class II sites. All of the sites on this national heritage register are also listed in the District Plan Heritage Register and can only be modified with permission from the Historic Places Trust and the Council. Resource consents must be sought from the Council to do this.

In addition to the Historic Places Register, the Matamata-Piako District Plan protects an additional 39 buildings and structures with historic or cultural values. These sites cannot be altered, modified or demolished without resource consent from the Council.