Seriously Notice of Requirement Filled for the Storm Water Channel We know the Council via the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan debate has laid out a set of 10 Spatial … Continue reading Council Wants to Go Dig a 2.1km Ditch
Month: September 2014
Councillor Competence
9:30 Hour Committee is Unacceptable To the point it shows gross incompetence of (some) Councillors getting stuff done in a Committee of a Whole which means my … Continue reading Councillor Competence
Council Considers Business Land
Well – We Hope After the Auckland Development Committee in June where the Council got itself in a muddle over the Hobsonville Point Marine Precinct (see: A Question About … Continue reading Council Considers Business Land
Poll of Polls update – 14 September 2014
Nothing too disconcerting here
For some reason, Fairfax have delayed the release of their 11 September 2014 Ipsos poll to this morning (the Ipsos Polling Station on Stuff even calls it their “September 11 2014 Poll”). It’s almost standard these days to describe each new poll as “another bad for Labour”, but this Ipsos poll is the worst result Labour has had this year from any major polling company.
Labour slumps 1.9% to just 22.4%. On that sort of election day result, Labour would be losing (depending on how various electorate results go) Sue Moroney, Andrew Little, Maryan Street, Moana Mackey, Kelvin Davis, Raymond Huo and Carol Beaumont, while Jacinda Ardern would be looking anxiously at the level of wasted vote, hoping it would bump her in. (If Labour lose both Palmerston North and Port Hills, it would be Andrew Little looking anxiously at the wasted vote level, while Iain Lees-Galloway wouldn’t make it from…
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The Blomfield v Slater judgment – what does it mean for your average blogger?
For the average blogger like me covering Auckland issues, the judgement does not really mean much. Life continues to go on, blogging continues to go on. As always Talking Auckland is open to feed back and guest posts 🙂
So with the finding of the High Court that Cameron Slater is a journalist (see my previous posts here, here and here), and that his Whaleoil blog is a news medium, there’s been some presumption from some on the internet that political bloggers as a class have now been raised to the level of journalists. Lprent at the Standard, for example, says:
I was rather expecting that Justice Asher would make me and other authors here honorary journalists under section 68 of the Evidence Act 2006, and that is what he did.
I’m not entirely certain that lprent is right. There are a few fishhooks spread throughout Asher J’s judgment that seem to indicate that the Courts would consider Cameron Slater to be a bit of a special case among bloggers.
For a start, there’s the definition of a news medium s 68(5) of the…
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Blomfield v Slater : the judgment
So Slater is deemed a journalist and Whale Oil a news medium. The established Main Stream Media can have fun with that one.
For the rest though Slater is up the creek with the Judge passing down in his judgement that Slater must reveal sources as well as being liable for costs (so hollow victory).
In the meantime and especially in relation to this: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/one-blogger-ruining-it-rest-cg-p-162253 one wonders at the depth of the bloggersphere in New Zealand for which I would be a part of via Talking Auckland.
Does Slater cast us all with the infantile immaturity has been said by the Law Commission, Law Society, and the Courts? Or are there a few of us out there above the sty when casting both news and commentary. We shall see post election.
So Cameron Slater is now officially a journalist, for the purposes of the Evidence Act 2006. Here’s a copy of the High Court’s judgment, thanks to Peter Aranyi at The Paepae (whose post ‘High Court serves a mixed bag for PR attack blogger Cameron Slater‘ is worth reading).
With the unfolding of the Dirty Politics saga after the High Court appeal hearing had occurred, commentators had wondered whether the Judge would reopen the hearing. Mr Blomfield attempted to produce additional evidence that had flowed from the Dirty Politics book, but was quickly rebuffed. In the judgment, Asher J merely notes that leave was declined to introduce further evidence “on the basis that it is hearsay or privileged”.
This gives rise to elements of (possibly) unintentional humour, such as where the Judge states at para 66, “While he [Slater] will often refer to other materials, there was no evidence…
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The Greens and National
A pity because the Liberal Faction of National do have a bit in common with the Liberal Faction of The Greens. That is what Social Liberalism stands for and what The Common Good means.
What Russel has been talking about to me would sit with the Social Lib’s that do sit (quietly at the moment as the Tea Party Empire destroys itself) well together. The missing element? Our MMP is still infantile compared to the Germans MMP system where right wing Chancellor Angela Merkil can work in a grand coalition with Left and Right including the German Greens.
Maybe in time we could see the same here because when we do our politics would have reached a higher level of maturity than what it is right now.
I’ve got a $5 bet with Matthew Beveridge, author of the Social Media & the 2014 Election blog, regarding the Greens’ vote share in comparison to Labour (High stakes, baby! That’s half of a possible 2017 tax cut – not to be sneezed at!). Matt is betting on the Greens getting at least 50% of what Labour gets; I’m betting they won’t. With the way the polls are running, I’m definitely not on a sure thing…
Last week, One Newsreported that the Greens were “discussing a change of strategy in light of their strengthening support”. The “change of strategy” was apparently evident in Russel Norman’s reminder during last week’s minor party leaders’ debate that the Greens could work on a case by case basis with National. The plan is apparently to tell voters that even if Labour can’t form a Government, a vote for the Greens won’t be wasted, as they’ll be…
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Fourth Tranche of Special Housing Areas Announced
Council and Government Announces Fourth Tranche for the SHA’s
Yesterday Mayor Len Brown, and Housing Minister Nick Smith announced the fourth trance of the Special Housing Areas.
From Auckland Council
New Special Housing Areas announced
Friday 12 September 2014A fourth tranche of 17 Special Housing Areas (SHAs) that could yield more than 8000 new homes across Auckland has been announced by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.
“The Auckland Housing Accord was agreed 11 months ago and since then, it has facilitated thousands more sections to be developed and thousands more homes to be built,” says Dr Smith.
“The latest tranche brings the total number of Special Housing Areas in Auckland to 80, with a potential yield of 41,500 homes. This is the momentum and scale we need to improve housing affordability and supply in our largest city.”
“The Special Housing Areas are making a real difference to the number of homes developers are building and planning to build at a range of different price points,” says Mayor Len Brown.
“The council is seeing an exciting pipeline of construction activity that will result in quality residential neighbourhoods in 2015 and beyond.”
“The successful effect of the Housing Accord is obvious in the latest building consent figures, which show 7119 consents were issued in Auckland in the year to July. This represents an annual rate of growth of 30 per cent – the highest in a decade,” says Dr Smith.
“The government’s KiwiSaver HomeStart initiative complements the Special Housing Areas by providing an incentive for builders to construct more homes in an affordable range. The scheme provides $20,000 grants for first-home buyers who have been in KiwiSaver for five years to purchase homes under $550,000 and provides Welcome Home Loans that enable purchases with a 10 per cent deposit,” he says.
The Auckland Housing Accord, agreed last year by Dr Smith and Mr Brown, provides for the creation of SHAs by Auckland Council with the approval of the government. Qualifying developments in these areas can be streamlined and fast-tracked.
The 17 new SHAs have been adopted by Auckland Council but are subject to formal approval by Cabinet and a recommendation to the Governor-General.
The new SHAs are located in Northcote, Mount Wellington, Papakura, Orakei, Pine Hill, Mount Eden, Avondale, Hingaia, Birkenhead, Ellerslie, Avondale, Whenuapai, Mount Albert, Takapuna, Tamaki, and Orewa.
Visit our SHA page for more details.
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More on the Fourth SHA Tranche
September 2014
The overview map shows the fourth set of 17 SHAs. Click individual area names below for more site specific information.
September 2014 overview map (PDF 2MB)
Auckland Council has recommended the following areas. They are now subject to formal approval by Cabinet and a recommendation to the Governor-General.
This overview map showing the fourth set of 17 SHAs. The area names below for more area specific information.
Bellfield Road, Papakura (PDF 587KB) [I have opened the Papakura SHA as an example]
The former Papakura Golf Course, and adjoining property at 117 Opaheke Road which borders the new Opaheke Park, will eventually accommodate approximately 350 homes in an area of high demand.
The new owner of the properties, Motleon Limited, the Principal of whom is Sir Noel Robinson, has embarked upon a master-planned development of the properties that will integrate with Opaheke Park.
As part of the development, Motleon will pay to uplift a public encumbrance on the former golf course property. That money will be spent on improvements and facilities at Opaheke Park to benefit the local community.
Motleon is undertaking detailed storm water modelling, and other technical work, in order to be able to progress consents for the development the land.
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The Overview of the SHA Tranches thus far
Note: This does not include the four developers that have walked away from the Special Housing Areas recently (Special Housing Areas Already in Trouble?)
The Bellfield Road SHA
More on the SHA’s when I cover the Business Land situation later on.
Queen Elizabeth Square to be Sold to Precinct Properties – Conditionally
Conditional Agreement on Queen Elizabeth Square Sale to Precinct Properties The largest of the Auckland Development Committee items passed 15-4 yesterday to allow the conditional sale of Queen … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth Square to be Sold to Precinct Properties – Conditionally
Downtown Framework Passed [Updated with Framework now Included]
First of the Two Downtown Items Passed in Committee The next run of blog posts will be covering the results and performances from yesterday’s 9:30 hours of often fraught … Continue reading Downtown Framework Passed [Updated with Framework now Included]
Talking Southern Auckland 