Reserves on the Port Hills

Forest and Bird, Issue 308, 1 May 2003, Page 21

Reserves on the Port Hills

utspoken Christchurch resident () and Member of Parliament, Harry Ell (1862-1934), was one of the early advocates of conservation and public access to the Port Hills. His energy drove the establishment of the Summit Road, which traverses the crest of the Banks Peninsula volcano, its roadhouses, and a network of small scenic reserves. The Summit Road Act (1963) gave protection to a narrow strip of land on either side of the road. In the 1970s two major reserves were established — Godley Head, the largest reserve on the Port Hills (at nearly 300 hectares) and Mt Vernon Park, the second largest (nearly 225 hectares). Mt Vernon was purchased using public

donations and is run by a trust. A significant recent addition is Omahu Bush (106 hectares) which was purchased by a private charitable trust operated by Grant and Marilyn Nelson (see Forest and Bird, May 2000). The bush is toward the western end of the hills and is protected with a Queen Elizabeth II National Trust covenant. Omahu had been badly damaged by goats, deer, sheep and possums when the trust bought it and the Nelsons have worked hard to control the pests. Their reward has been watching the forest’s health improve and the trees begin to hold their own against the surrounding gorse. There are other privately owned reserves on the Port Hills.