Month: July 2014

Campaign Strategy?

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There is a reason why I don’t like the term Non Partisan

 

Mainly because when it is used in the USA it will usually refer to some Neo Conservative Think tank with strong ties one way or the other to the Republican Party.

Well it seems (after someone forgot to make a shared Google Document private rather than open for the World to see) we could have an issue with the Non Partisan term here in New Zealand as we draw close to the 20th September national elections.

I stumbled across this early this which comes from the Rock Enrol campaign team:

 

The Rock Enrol campaign is designed to get the youth vote maximised as it is stubbornly low in New Zealand.

 

I do not have issues with third parties getting out there advocating and giving people a nudge in doing their civic duties. I do it in a round about way with the blog on Auckland issues.

What I do take issue to is when the Non Partisan term is used but could be very clouded owing to where support or resources are coming from. Put it this way to be non-partisan to the point actually being Bi-Partisan (which the Americans are good at) Rock Enrol should have asked for help from (and as an example) the Employers and Manufacturers Association. At the end of the day the EMA represents business that hire youth and are no doubt keen to offer their insight as well as a low voter turn out is not that great for business (let alone Unions and so on).

As for my own political affiliations? I have had it always in the open and it is on my LinkedIn profile. Yes since 2003 I have been member of the National Party.

 

I will leave the rest to your interpretations.

 

Unitary Plan Huh?

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Interesting Provision for Planning Officers during the Unitary Plan Hearings

 

I have a lot of time for Bob Dey who is a veteran writer on Auckland issues (as well as other matters). Bob is often on the media table alongside me and others when we are “doing our thing” on reporting on these Auckland issues. I can safely say Bob does not have much time for “bollocks” that can go on, something I have little time for either.

I picked up on one of Bob’s own blog posts proceedings at the most recent Unitary Plan Committee meeting (the Committee that provides directions to planning officers while the Unitary Plan Independent Hearings happen) something that I found odd and Bob most certainly did. Might get an email flicked to Council seeking clarification.

From Bob Dey’s Property Report

Key unitary plan issues listed

on Sunday 6 July 2014 in Land use, Planning, Sectors, Spatial plan 0
Auckland Council plan development manager JohnDuguid has set out a list of key unitary plan issues – from the council perspective – based on initial submissions. It might change once the period for further submissions closes on 22 July.Biggest topic is zoning, particularly residential zoning.

9400 submitters have raised almost 100,000 submission points. Mr Duguid says in a report for the council’s unitary plan committee on Tuesday as many as 700 topics might require a hearing.

The council is in a different position from usual at the unitary plan hearings, which will be before an independent panel, will involve prehearing meetings & mediation and will see the council staff not as advisors to the panel but as submitters.

Estimates are that prehearing meetings will start in September and the hearings will start in November, ending in April 2016.

Just to keep the process rolling, the council’s unitary plan committee has to agree to positions to be adopted at prehearings, mediation and during the formal hearings. Submitting parties will have to do the same, or the process won’t be completed within the 2016 deadline for hearings to be completed.

…

One unusual admission in Mr Duguid’s report – on which he didn’t elaborate – is that “there may be situations where council staff are unable to support the council’s position (as directed by the unitary plan committee). Should this occur, attempts will be made to find a consultant who is able to support the council’s position. The committee does, however, need to be aware that such a situation could result in the council’s position being set out at the hearings without any supporting expert evidence.”

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Source: http://www.propbd.co.nz/key-unitary-plan-issues-listed/

 

The Committee Paper has it here: 9 Unitary plan, update [point 17]

Okay can someone in Council explain what this means please as this seem perplexing.

 

 

Further Unitary Plan Submissions Close July 22

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Get that submission in – however, conditions apply

 

From Auckland Council

Not too late for further submission to Unitary Plan

 

Further submissions to the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan close on 22 July 2014.

These are limited to being either in support or opposition to changes to the plan, as requested in the over 9,400 original submissions which contained requests for nearly 100,000 changes.

Only people or entities with an interest greater than the general public or who represent a matter of public interest can make a further submission.

For information on making a further submission visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/unitaryplan

Further submissions will be presented to the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel which will consider all submissions to the plan over the next two years.

The final unitary plan is not expected to be made operative until late 2016.

 

—ends—

 

I will leave with this those quote:

Political Quote of the Day: “There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it.” Charles F. Kettering