Tips and Pointers

 

Submissions to the Unitary Plan close February 28th. To be part of the further submission process and the later hearings in front of the Commissioners you must have your submission in before the February deadline.

That said one of the main things that would put people off writing a submission is the complexity of writing one. That is rather not true – providing you follow the guidelines set out which I will have embedded below. Your submissions can be as short or as long as you see fit, and can be done either online or if like me by “hand” (in Word) before sending it off. To provide further assistance the Council along with the New Zealand Planning Institute are providing a one-off service to help refine your submissions before they are sent to the Council. By now they should have been in touch with you and a date been set for when you like to meet up with the NZPI planner. I would highly recommend taking up the offer so that your submission is as robust as it can be for when it is considered by the Commissioners later on in the year.

For further help your Local Board followed by your Ward Councillors should be on hand as well if needed – although you would need to check with them prior.

 

Outlines for Unitary Plan Submission

Below is some reference material that should give a “framework” on how to write an effective Unitary Plan submission. The online portal can be found here: http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/plansstrategies/unitaryplan/Pages/makeasubmission.aspx

Proposed Unitary Plan Submission Form

 

Unitary Plan Submission Guide

 

Up Practice Note Referencing the Proposed Unitary Plan

 

Remember the Unitary Plan is basically the master planning book that will guide land use and development in Auckland over the next thirty years. While the UP will come under reviews at least once every decade this is your main chance to have your say in how you would like to see Auckland evolve. Just a quick note that NIMBY shilling will be automatically disregarded by the Commissioners. If you object to something (as well as support or want an amendment) you need to give a very good reason, back it up with research or case studies, and then give an alternative to what was in the draft Unitary Plan. To throw a further spanner in the works for you and your submission when you give that alternative it will pay to also back it up with research or case studies to ensure your submission is robust.

Now the question you are likely to ask is will all that research just make things complex? The answer is ‘No’ – especially in this day and age where material can be accessed online very quickly but it will make things more time-consuming.

 

Auckland’s (planning) future is now in our hands. Unitary Plan submissions do not need to be overly complex but they do need to be robust if you want it to withstand the scrutiny of the independent Commissioners. Help in various forms has been made available to help you with your submission. If you want to ‘influence’ how our City develops over the next thirty years then time to get writing.

 

My own submission will be uploaded to the blog in March after I have sent it in.