Month: March 2014

4,260 Submissions and Counting

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Meanwhile there were only 1,947 Annual Plan Submissions

 

The numbers are rather telling with a bit of an imbalance with the two different submissions.

From Shape Auckland on the Unitary Plan

UNITARY PLAN SUBMISSIONS: 4,260 AND COUNTING

More than 4,260 submissions on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan have now been registered, with many more to come. As expected, the majority of submissions came in on the last week of the five-month submission period: through the online form, by email, by post or through libraries and council service centres. The closing date was 5pm on Friday 28 February.

Given the statutory process of individually registering each one, and assessing for duplicates or additions to original submissions, the tally won’t be known until closer to the end of the month.

Once registered, Auckland Council staff will go through each submission to summarise what decisions are being asked for. This is an extensive process, but we are aiming to be able to publish the summary, along with a full, searchable set of the submissions, online by the end of May. This will then start the process of further submissions.

…

As for further submissions

Further submissions

The five-month submission period for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan ended at 5pm on 28 February 2014. The council will publish all submissions online by the end of May, along with a summary report of the decisions requested in them. The submissions will be indexed and searchable by submission number, name, local board, and theme. The summary report will be publicly notified, marking the start of the further submissions period. During this period, people will be able to respond to the decisions requested by submitters, by stating either their support or opposition to particular points raised.

We will publish further details about this process closer to the time.

—ends–

 

Meanwhile with the Annual Plan (annual budget):

Source: Mark Thomas of Orakei Local Board

Over consulted again or bad timing having two submission periods together with Area Plan submissions to start soon as well…

 

More Taxes? No Thanks

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Mayor Outlines Possible New Taxes

 

I saw this morning that the Mayor is effectively looking at a Poll Tax to either replace or supplement the current rating system (property tax) Council uses to raise revenue.

From Stuff:

Brown’s bold tax plan

Making all Aucklanders pay a council income tax may help elderly people in affluent areas who can’t afford their rates, mayor Len Brown says.

The current system is “inherently unfair” on people living on fixed incomes and paying high rates because of the value of their properties in areas like Devonport-Takapuna, Brown says.

Introducing an income-related tax for local council services that everyone pays is an option, he says.

Only property owners pay rates but the council is spending money on infrastructure and services for everyone, Brown says.

He believes the only way to mitigate the rates burden as property prices rise is to rethink how local government is funded.

Brown won’t express a view on what alternative might work saying he is “quite open minded”.

Options could include funding through income tax, GST, user pays charges, or bed taxes from hotel.

—-ends—-

 

Last time a poll tax got mentioned it cost Maggie Thatcher her Prime Ministership in 1990 to John Major. While we do need to think how Local Government is funded in New Zealand such as all GST collected from rates is given straight back to the Council rather than Central Government keeping it (Australia has a GST sharing arrangement between the Federal Government and the State Governments) I believe priority one is getting our expenses in line first.

Debt moving from 175% to 275% to me is unacceptable by all means. If we need to go that high then it seems it might be time to take the ruler and red pen over expenditure. I was given an alternative to how the budget should be set for Council by an elected representative once. The idea was quite intriguing in using a big massive white board at the back of the chamber where the Councillors meet (so where the food sits) with revenue down one side and expenditure (OPEX and CAPEX) down the other. Everyone can see it, everyone can comment on it, but the sole key requirement was you did the income first then the expenditure to match the income. Not the current method of do the expenditure first then find the income to cover it. With the board present it would serve as a constant reminder if you want something can the revenue cover it – if not what needs to “go” first. Pretty much this is what households and businesses do – or rather should do (our savings and debt is nothing to crow about)

 

So I am rather cool on the Mayor’s announcement on new funding mechanisms when our current budgets are disjointed as they are.

 

Just a quick note on another Orsman piece this morning I noticed he was going on about the City debt lifting by $74 million currently. A reminder that $60 million of that is the Colin Maiden Park purchase from the University of Auckland to ensure Auckland continues to have green space as it grows. So not as alarming as it was portrayed this morning as that $60m will continue to pay dividends for generations to come.

 

Council to Assist with Cultural Impact Assessments

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Council to increase help for resource consent applicants contacting iwi

 

I have not been paying much attention to the Cultural Impact Assessment debate aspect of the Unitary Plan at the moment but this presser did come across the box a few moments ago.

From Auckland Council:

Council to increase help for resource consent applicants contacting iwi

 

Auckland Council will contact iwi on behalf of applicants whose resource consents may need a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA), removing one of the key areas of concern for people impacted by new provisions in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.This step is one of a number of moves the council is making to help applicants, following discussions over recent months with iwi.

While the requirement for CIAs has been around for many years, the council’s Chief Planning Officer Roger Blakeley says increased protection for Auckland’s cultural heritage and values means more people are now likely to need them. This protection was called for during feedback on the draft Auckland Unitary Plan and the rules came into effect when the plan was notified on 30 September 2013.

 

Dr Blakeley says: “It is important for Auckland to protect its cultural heritage and values – and for the rules to be workable. 

“We’re working closely with iwi to find ways to get the right balance: providing protection, while easing the impact on landowners. Providing a facilitator to contact iwi on applicants’ behalf is just one of the steps we can take to help make the process more straightforward.” 

Dr Blakeley says the outcome of a CIA is not an approval of an application, it is simply advice that needs to be taken into account by the council, who makes the decision on a consent application.

 

The Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan requires applicants to ask iwi whether a CIA is needed if their consent has an environmental impact (such as discharges to air or water) that may have an adverse impact on Mana Whenua values, or if it is in an area that has a site of significance or value to Mana Whenua, based on archaeological records.

Other steps being taken to streamline the process include:

 

  • Working with iwi to refine maps covering areas of interest, so it is clearer which iwi have a specific interest in individual applications
  • Establishing clearer guidelines for when a CIA is required 
  • Working with iwi on ways to streamline the process
  • Iwi are also discussing themselves how they can provide greater certainty for applicants
  • Submissions on the proposed plan closed last week and these will be summarised and published by the end of May.

 

Dr Blakeley says there are widespread views on the Mana Whenua provisions and he expects there to have been many submissions on the issue. These will be heard by the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel. 

“The next step in the process is to listen to what Aucklanders have to say through the submissions and hearings process.” 

If applicants have any questions they are advised to call the resource consents team on 09 301 0101.

—-ends—-

 

Might go do some brushing up on these CIA’s with all sorts of Social Media commentary popping up at the moment – some quiet skewered too.

 

A Look at the new EMU’s

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The Middle Carriage

 

For those who do not have Twitter this is what the middle carriage looks like when boarding from a typical station platform

Auckland Transport ‏@AklTransport 11m
New electric trains aren’t far away! The middle carriage has platform-level boarding for wheelchairs, prams & bikes. pic.twitter.com/kG6HHdyjz6

Source: Auckland Transport ‏@AklTransport  11m

New electric trains aren’t far away! The middle carriage has platform-level boarding for wheelchairs, prams & bikes. pic.twitter.com/kG6HHdyjz6

No doubt AT will have more pictures coming soon