Always someone having a moan!

 

I have noticed that opposition has cropped up over the Wesley Special Housing Area – recently announced by the Government and Auckland Council. I had made mention of this announcement in my “6000 New Homes to Be Built in Auckland” post.

 

From that particular post:

Wesley College/Farm Special Housing Area

1000 homes over 277 hectares in the middle of no where with only one road in and out of that area (State Highway 22). Until Paerata Station is built your nearest train station is either Pukekohe or Papakura – both a decent drive away. As I mentioned earlier in this post the amount of land would equate to 2,500m2 per house or just over half an acre. I wonder though what else is planned for inside that Special Housing Area at Wesley College/Farm that sits on the northern end of the Pukekohe/Paerata Future Urban Zone? Is council going to be looking at a new Town Centre and some smaller Neighbour Centres within the 277 hectare development? Are we looking at some light industry near the existing industrial park in Paerata? What about infrastructure that all needs to be built brand spanking new such as:

• Fresh Water pipes
• Waste Water Pipes and possibly that new waste water treatment plant that was mentioned in the earlier Unitary Plan feedback this year
• Storm Water pipes and ponds
• Primary School? (Central Government provision)
• Police and Fire Stations? (Central Government provision)
• Parks
• New Library and Community Centre?
• Roads and bus stops
• The Paerata Station with Park and Ride
• Electricity and Telecommunication provisions (although they are provided by private providers such as Chorus and Counties Power Limited (not Vector as I originally said) as an example)

This SHA parked in the middle of literally no where rather than attached to existing development such as Pukekohe or Drury/Papakura will make this interesting in provision costs for the above. Put it this way you are going to be stung either for the developer passing on costs to the buyer or the buyer stung by long commute times to get any where – or both. The ratepayer through Council also having to provide the infrastructure as well will no undoubtedly be stung as well.

In saying that there is one good thing about the Wesley College/Farm Special Housing Area is that this a blank canvas. If I were a Planner and Urban Designer i would be wrapped (ecstatic) to be assigned alongside the developer in being able to paint on a blank canvas such as the Wesley College Special Housing Area. Not too many Greenfield places like this one were you can apply the best Urban Design/Planning Practices without expensive refits you would find in Brownfield Areas. Then again I would say this after 10 years of Sim City 4 as practice for blank canvas Greenfield development such as the one below:

Yes there are some negatives to the Wesley College Special Housing Area owing it to being in the middle of nowhere rather than next to being latched up to an existing urban fabric. But it has been announced and no use busting a nut over this.

Lets get some world-class urban and transport design and planning happening here on this rare large blank canvas. You only have once chance with a Greenfield Area unless you want to do an expensive Brownfield refit like Manukau City Centre is going to need.

Speaking of Manukau, with Addison and Wesley College Special Housing Areas to add around 1500 houses or roughly 2-3000 people between them we also better again get cracking in upgrading Southern Auckland’s Heart…

….

 

Recapping – the Wesley Special Housing Area is here:

It is at the northern end of the Pukekohe/Paerata end of the Future Urban Zone – which is out for submissions as part of the formal notification series after the first feedback round supported this option.

 

What we have though is by the looks of it some NIMBY’s who would stall the development of this Special Housing Area AND put at risk Wesley College’s potential economic health into the future.

 

From the NZ Herald

Ex-students fight plan for school farm

By Morgan Tait 5:30 AM Friday Nov 1, 2013

Former pupils of Wesley College have struck out at plans to develop its farmland into intensive housing, but the school says without the development it may not have a future at all.

About 4500 houses are proposed for the school’s 277.7 ha dairy farm at Paerata, north of Pukekohe, as part of the Auckland Housing Accord, a joint Government and Auckland Council project announced last month.

Wesley College Trust Board general secretary Chris Johnston said the development could generate hundreds of millions for the integrated Christian secondary school for Maori and Pacific Island students.

However, a group of ex-students says the development will not only erode the school’s identity but was initiated without consulting the school community.

Old boy Pete Malcouronne is leading the group of more than 250. His Facebook page, SOS Wesley, has 264 members since it started 10 days ago and is a forum for airing concerns and organising group action.

The group proposes to protect “our sacred school on Puhitahi Hill”, which is known for its high-profile alumni including Jonah Lomu, Temuera Morrison and Weta Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor.

Mr Malcouronne represented the group at the Wesley College Old Students Association AGM on Sunday and spoke of their concerns at the extent of the plans and the lack of consultation with past students.

Mr Johnston said the group was in the minority compared with the extensive support for the project and securing the school’s financial future would protect its special character.

…

 

Never knew past students had a “right” to “interfere” with how a school or any other educational facility here and in the future decides how to proceed forward. That would be like me as a University of Auckland Alumni sticking my nose in and objecting to the new science block that is nearly completed or objecting to Tamaki Campus relocating to Newmarket. Sure I can make any concerns noted in a submission when they are called for but forming a group and running to the media? Yeah-nah

I do have some questions though for Mr Malcouronne with his objections to the Wesley College Special Housing Area:

• Did he see the March version of the Unitary Plan Maps where at first we had a choice on which Greenfield options were available to “pick” from? 
• If so, did Mr Malcouronne make a submission at the time objecting to the “Corridor Option” of the Southern Rural Urban Boundary (the option in the current Unitary Plan out for notification)?
• Does Mr Malcouronne realise the area around Wesley is zoned Future Urban Zone – meaning it is up for development at any time (which is now owing to the SHA) in the life time of the Unitary Plan
• Will Mr Malcouronne make a submission against the Corridor Option of the Southern Rural Urban Boundary that would result in the Future Urban Zone being removed (although that is a bit late now and his point should have been made known in May)
• Which leads to where should the Future Urban Zone go if it can not be around Wesley College?
• Finally and this is the main question to sum up all questions; was Mr Malcouronne part of the Unitary Plan process from March 16 until now and through to it becoming operative in 2016?

 

As for that last question I have been for sure being keeping up with the Unitary Plan process from March 16. I wrote in my feedback in support of the corridor option (what we have now) as the best option to handle our Greenfield development in the deep south of Auckland. My concerns, reasons and “excitement” can be seen in the extracts further up in the post.

 

For those wondering on the costs of establishing the Wesley Special Housing Area, I have noted the concerns (as written above) and will send enquiries to Council at a later day. I can say though I do have confidence the Urban Designers are doing a good job in drawing up what is effectively a new de-facto town. It had struck my mind as well that Wesley College could be a focus point of this Special Housing Area come new urban town. Just like you have College Towns in the USA (although American Colleges are their tertiary institutions). Something that would make a proud Wesley College a real focal point.

Providing Central Government does not do a hatchet job in its aspects of the Special Housing Area, the Wesley College “Town” is something we should rally behind and support. For both the school and quality urban design… 

 

Related articles

• Ex-students fight plan for school farm (nzherald.co.nz)
• Reminder: Unitary Plan Open Days (voakl.net)