From Russell Brown @publicaddress

 

The particular email which has been doing the rounds and has landed up both in Auckland Transport Blog and this blog (Time for a Debunk?) was originally picked up by Russell Brown who runs Public Address.

Russell has written his own version (and it is rather long) titled “A plea for sanity on the Unitary Plan.” For the most part it covers what both ATB and I have covered respectively in our own blogs on that email (which we believe comes from 2040). The introduction to Russell’s piece as follows:

A plea for sanity on the Unitary Plan

I know I’m not the only one feeling a growing sense of alarm at the degree of misinformation coursing around the debate on the Auckland Unitary Plan. But I went from despair to anger on Monday morning when I was forwarded an email being circulated by Eden-Albert local board member Pauline Anderson.

It’s a bit long to republish in full here – and frankly, it would rankle somewhat to be presenting something so faulty in full – but Ben Ross has a copy on his blog.

The email repeatedly references Auckland 2040, a North Shore-based lobby group, more of whom later. And it starts like this:

…

You can read the rest over at Public Address. And yes I have published the email in all its “glory” as well (as long as it was).

But I am going to emphasis the kicker or the apparent hypocrisy behind 2040 and the person who set it up. This from Russell’s article after he did some investigations of his own:

This is what I think is going on here. Firstly, there are many people genuinely concerned about the implications for their neighbourhoods, but most don’t seem to clear about what is actually changing and what the implications of any change might be. Those people – mostly older Aucklanders – deserve to be heard and they deserve good information.

But I think there’s also a strong political dimension to this. The centre-right has despaired of getting anything on Len Brown – hence the absence of any candidate bar the independent John Palino, who has little to do with the centre-right establishment. But they’ve realised that the Unitary Plan might work for them, if they can drum up enough fear, uncertainty and doubt around it. And when Jeanette Fitzsimons has bought the hype, you’d have to conclude that they’re winning.

Enter Auckland 2040, which seems to be the source of Anderson’s email. It’s a new lobby group backed by Takapuna neighbours Richard Burton and software millionaire Guy Haddleton (who, ironically, built a very large three-storey house). Until last week, the group’s home page prominently endorsed a centre-right ticket – Cameron Brewer, Dick Quax, George Wood and others – but that part was removed after it became a topic of discussion. Whale Oil has enthusistically adopted the “Len Brown’s folly” message, which probably means Judith Collins’ office is interested.

Click the link in blue italics above to check out the three storey house or just click here http://www.gregnoble.co.nz/Haddleton_0911.pdf

Hypocrisy?

To me it is and it does have me seething! I don’t mind people getting startled by something as large as the Unitary Plan. At 7000 pages it is a startler. I do not mind robust dialogue and debate on the Unitary Plan. I do not mind people asking legitimate questions on the Unitary Plan. I do not mind people seeking clarification on the Unitary Plan – heck I have done it a few times already. And I do not mind people putting forward alternatives to what is in the Unitary Plan. My own feedback is one big document on an alternative to aspects of the Unitary Plan.

But what I do mind and what will make me seethe is blatant campaigns of misinformation and hypocrisy!

So if I were to get Guy Haddleton’s call and 2040’s call on Mixed Housing Zones, three storey developments at 10 metres high would not be allowed even as a restricted discretionary activity under the Unitary Plan?  But Mr Haddleton has BUILT a three storey house on by the looks of it a Single House Zone per the Unitary Plan. Assuming the UP has carried the rules over from the now defunct North Shore City Council, having a three storey house built where it is was most likely a Restricted Discretionary Activity. That means a consent to the Council to have the place built.

Under the Mixed Housing Zone rules in the Unitary Plan, if I were to build a three storey house on my property (as I live in a Mixed Housing Zone) I would need consent from Council. This because such a house is deemed a Restricted Discretionary Activity and as such I need to “tick” the boxes on rules such as:

• setback
• height to boundary
• shading rules
• urban design quality
• and most likely a fee on any infrastructure upgrades

The consent is non notified under the Unitary Plan but because I am such a nice guy I might give my neighbours the heads up to what I was doing. You know the no surprises policy!

But, Mr Haddleton and his 2040 brigade don’t like Mixed Housing Zones nor the rules that go with them. The rules which permit 8 metre high two storey houses and if one jumps through the bureaucratic hoops a 10 metre high three storey house.

So they will deny me my private property right to allow a three storey house on my OWN property providing I jump the hoops with Council.

Yet Mr Haddleton lives in a three storey house in a Single Housing Zone which even has tighter rules what can be built on it. Am I missing something here folks?

 

One thing I have little tolerance to is people saying one thing and doing another – or more to the point ‘Do as I say and no as I do.’

And 2040 might have just fallen into the trap of ‘Do as I Say and not as I do’ mentality.

Hypocrisy from 2040 – I believe so…