Unitary Plan Update

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Over 20,000 pieces of feedback?

Judging by the Auckland Council‘s release there was 20,200 individual pieces of feedback to the first round of “consultation” for the Unitary Plan.

From Auckland Council

Thanks for your feedback

Published: Tuesday 04 June 2013
Mayor Len Brown with some of the written feedback on the draft Auckland Unitary Plan.
 Mayor Len Brown with some of the written feedback on the draft Auckland Unitary Plan.
(Wonder where my one got put at 104 pages)

More than 20,200 Aucklanders have had their say on the draft Auckland Unitary Plan– the new planning rulebook that will help shape Auckland.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says the level of interest during the 11-week informal public engagement period, which finished on 31 May, was phenomenal.

“Developing a plan that covers all eight previous council areas is a mammoth task and we are taking on board the feedback from our communities to ensure we get the best plan possible,” she says.

“It has been fantastic to see so many Aucklanders taking part in the engagement and sharing their ideas as we plan for the next 30 years of Auckland’s development.”

To ensure communities understand the proposed changes, local boards held around 250 events across the region, including drop-in sessions, meetings in libraries and community centres, and community walks.

  • About 14,000 Aucklanders attended these events.
  • Auckland Council also sought the opinions of Auckland’s young people – via a youth video competition.
    • The competition was won by ‘The Future’, produced by four Orewa College students.
    • View the five finalist videos.

 

Aucklanders involvement

  • 20,200 pieces of individual feedback received
  • 14,000 people attended events
  • More than 88,000 people visited www.shapeauckland.co.nz
  • More than 15,000 people tried the housing simulator.

Next steps

Feedback will be considered in the development of the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, which is due to be notified later this year.

On notification, the public will have a statutory right to make submissions and be heard by a hearings panel.

More information will be available at www.shapeauckland.co.nz and in future editions of OurAuckland.

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Of note the following developments have either occurred or being heard in the wind somewhere (but something to keep an eye on)

  • An independent review is under way with the recent 11-week feedback process. The review will be presented to the Auckland Plan Committee (“Wart n all”) at its conclusion
  • Caught in the wind that the current stacking of feedback is 60:40 “against” the Unitary Plan. HOWEVER and this is a big point here, the definition of “against” is wide open for interpretation. If I support the basic concepts of the UP but wrote 104 pages on how to clean it up through some large-scale alternatives, does that make me “against” the Unitary Plan. I think the better way in looking at it if the 60:40 point can be substantiated is that 60% are looking for some whole-scale changes to aspects of the UP rather than minor (which is where the 40% would go). In those regards then yes I would fit in there especially with the Special Character Zones and Manukau as the Second CBD of Auckland

 

But, lets wait and see where things go with the UP and the review currently underway