From Character Coalition:
Last week, as part of the Coalition’s action plan in the weeks to the end of May, we focused on encouraging your organisation’s members to contact your local MPs about the Government’s RMA changes, which will embed the whole Unitary Plan submission/panel hearings process.

Some feedback on your actions last week would be very welcome.

ACTIONS FOR WEEK TWO
This week we need to concentrate on getting involved in the public conversations about the Unitary Plan – they are happening in several important arenas and are gathering momentum.

It’s important the Coalition’s perspective gets out there for two reasons:
1. The Council has stated that comment on blogs and social media will be counted as an official part of the Unitary Plan feedback process.
2. There are some very organised forces at work trying to influence the debate their way.
3. Council staff are constant participants/contributors to these blogs/tweets etc…

There are a number of ways you can get your members to jump in and become part of the ongoing debate:

Do you go online to look at media coverage of the debates about the plan? The Herald site in particular has a very active comments section. After each article is published, please comment and give your groups’ perspective. Encourage your members to do the same. You need to register to participate, but it is easy to do.

Some important blog sites –

Auckland Transport Blog http://saveourstheliers.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8c1a4f3e43d639102ebf718c&id=220a4e61e3&e=c50f52d98b. Geoff Houtman has just posted an article about trams!

Cities Matter, at http://saveourstheliers.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8c1a4f3e43d639102ebf718c&id=25c582b7cf&e=c50f52d98b

Ben Ross: Auckland at http://saveourstheliers.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8c1a4f3e43d639102ebf718c&id=8267307aec&e=c50f52d98b – he’s attending UP meetings all over Auckland and spreading his message

One to watch is Eye on Auckland http://saveourstheliers.us4.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d8c1a4f3e43d639102ebf718c&id=6630d4584c&e=c50f52d98b. It has a rant about NIMBYs and some very vitriolic material on the St Heliers meeting. We can’t let this sort of misinformation go unchallenged so get on there and have your say.

If any of you are talkback fans it would be great to start some conversations on radio as well.

Keep local issues alive by writing to your local paper – letters to the editor generate debate

YOUR EFFORTS NOW ARE CRUCIAL
This “feedback/submissions” stage, finishing at the end of May, is extremely important.
Because it’s easier to try and influence a draft plan than to get changes made once it’s notified.

I cannot stress to you enough that this battle will be won only if we mobilise right across the Coalition.
The Council must be made to feel the heat all over the region.

Feel confident that your action makes a difference, get your members into gear and make the Coalition message visible across Auckland.

MAIN POINTS TO STRESS
• The timetable is far too rushed, given size and complexity of UP, remaining 6 weeks too short for informed public input.
• The plan will not protect heritage and character – lack of notification, scale and placement of intensification.
• Communities are still shut out of the process – no local plans, this is a ‘top-down-plan by the Council.
• Auckland’s infrastructure will not cope – where are the environmental impact reports?
• People do not trust the Council to get it right – look at the past.