Two mediation sessions down – four to go
Still got the Hearings for all six topics
Last week I was involved in three days of mediation alongside other submitters for the Centres Zones and their respective development controls in the Proposed Auckland Plan. The mediation works in confidences and without prejudice ( the papers are released later on ready for the Hearings on the topics) where big and small (like me) submitters gather around a table, with the Council Planners also present and the sessions overseen by a neutral mediator. The purpose of the mediation sessions is to see if the submitters and the Council Planners can find common ground prior to a Hearing. The point being the more agreed on in mediation the less adversarial the Hearing will become over a given topic.
The Centres Zones mediation papers have not been released yet so I won’t comment on them specifically. The Transport mediation papers (specifically around parking) have been released and you can read them for yourself from the Unitary Plan Hearings site (https://hearings.aupihp.govt.nz/hearings – Topic 043 and 044 – Evidence).
Below is the papers and evidence that comes out after a mediation session, in this instance Transport. These papers are in the public realm so you can read them in your own time.
The Transport Topic in the Draft Unitary Plan with tracked changes and comments resulting from Mediation
Council Tracked Changes Post Mediation
Evidence provided by Council Planners to be used in the respective Hearing
Again the above is all available in the public domain in regards to the 043 and 044 Transport Topic
Thoughts so far on the situation with the Unitary Plan processes
To be honest I am somewhat under whelmed by it all and it has nothing to do with the submitters nor the Hearings and its people involved. Being fair; listening, talking and having a very robust debate between the submitters has been a highlight of my involvement of the Unitary Plan processes thus far. I have actually learned quite a bit on the wider planning “situation” (for a lack of better words) and the stuff learned is stuff in my tool-kit that I would be able to use in the future.
Where I am under-whelmed looking at the information solely in the public domain comes from Council itself.
Below is the four high level strategies from the Auckland Plan, the same Auckland Plan that is meant to be framing the Unitary Plan current before the Hearings Panel:
86_ People are at the heart of the Auckland Plan. The Plan’s Development Strategy sets out how Auckland will change and grow over the next 30 years to become the world’s most liveable city – a city that Aucklanders love and are proud of; a place they want to stay or return to; and a place that others want to visit, move to or invest in.
87_ Auckland’s future lies in being an international city amongst other international cities, while maintaining the special qualities that make it a unique environment and an inclusive community. This includes an Auckland that:
- respects the special place of tangata whenua
- acknowledges and celebrates its role as a major Pacific city
- embraces its increasing diversity of cultures and lifestyles
- protects its outstanding rural, natural and marine environment, that is close to its urban heart.
88_ Auckland’s physical, social, economic and cultural dimensions have all influenced the Development Strategy.
First, the Development Strategy recognises that strengthening Auckland as an international city relies on improved, balanced socio-economic development across Auckland, so that all residents share in its prosperity. It aims to improve economic performance by prioritising innovation and the clustering of activities. It acknowledges that a competitive Auckland requires a world-class city centre. At the same time, it sets out initiatives in areas of high social need, notably in the area covered by The Southern Initiative.
Second, the Development Strategy promotes a better quality of life for all Aucklanders, by encouraging access to more housing and jobs, as well as opportunities for recreation, cultural, and leisure activities. There is an emphasis on the importance of building strong, inclusive communities around local neighbourhoods and centres.
Third, the Development Strategy ensures that our natural, marine and built environments are responsibly managed, so that our children and their children will be able to enjoy them in the future. It also acknowledges that Auckland’s environment is a defining feature which contributes enormously to our well-being and to our comparative advantage over other international cities.
Fourth, to achieve sustainable development, Auckland’s continued high population growth needs to be matched to a range of accessible, quality housing and employment choices. The emphasis is on growth in existing and compact urban areas which are served by efficient, safe public transport. Growth in rural areas will be supported by two satellite towns – Warkworth and Pukekohe. The Development Strategy provides the direction for where and how we will live, recognising that achieving a more compact Auckland will require generational change over 30 years.
89_ Further, by adopting a ‘place-based’ approach, the Development Strategy focuses on delivering quality outcomes by aligning investment in areas of change where the majority of growth will occur.
90_ Finally, the Development Strategy acknowledges our interdependence, particularly with the upper North Island, and with other cities and regions in New Zealand and the Asia Pacific. It relies on all of us who influence Auckland’s future, including central government, Auckland Council, iwi, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and communities, working together to achieve quality development and a sustainable future, and overcome social disadvantage.
91_ The Development Strategy has four key elements:
D1
KEY SHAPERS AND ENABLERS – including historical, physical, social, economic and environmental influences, their impact and Auckland’s response to future opportunities.
D2
THE TWO BIG INITIATIVES – that will deliver the greatest positive outcomes for Aucklanders and New Zealand.
D3
MOVING TO A QUALITY, COMPACT AUCKLAND – to accommodate high population and economic growth.
D4
WORKING AND DELIVERING WITH OTHERS – a collaborative, coordinated approach to achieve Auckland’s vision.
Source: http://theplan.theaucklandplan.govt.nz/development-strategy/
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Responses I have seen so far is that submitters recognise D2 and D3 of the four high level Development Strategies in the Auckland Plan yet the Council Planners seem very timid in agreeing to provisions that would best execute D2 and D3.
Thus myself feeling under-whelmed with the situation so far if we were to ever realise the main goal of “The World’s Most Liveable City.”
As a comparison note here is the relative extract from the Sydney Plan for a comparison:
INTRODUCTION
Sydney is an iconic global city and it is growing.
Sydney is currently home to over four million people living in communities as different as Cabramatta, Manly and the Blue Mountains. Each has its own identity but collectively they enrich the life and character of Sydney.
Sydney is a global city, the premier city in Australia and the economic capital of the country. What happens in Sydney is important to the rest of the nation because of its impact on jobs, the economy and our capacity to produce goods and services that are in demand around the world.
Sydney’s strong economy, skilled labour force, spectacular natural environment and relaxed lifestyle has made our city the envy of other cities around the world.
A sign of Sydney’s prosperity is that it’s growing – its economic output and its population. By 2031, Sydney’s economic output will almost double to $565 billion a year and there will be 689,000 new jobs.2 In the next 20 years, Sydney’s population will grow by 1.6 million people, with 900,000 of this population growth occurring in Western Sydney(3).
It’s clear that Sydney’s population is growing much faster than it did over the last 20 years (see Figure 1). To meet the needs of a bigger population, we need a plan to manage growth – how to accommodate the 664,0004 new homes that we will need, how to provide the conditions for growth in jobs, how to create places that people will enjoy living in and to protect our unique natural environment.
Sydney needs a plan that outlines how to:
- make it easier for Sydney’s residents to move between their homes, their jobs, the centres where they shop and use local services, and their open spaces;
- make a wider variety of housing available to suit the changing make-up of the population – more than one million people will be over the age of 65 years and almost the same number under the age of 15 years by 2031;5
- deliver new infrastructure which supports our community as it grows, and strategic infrastructure that also strengthens the economy; and
- recognise our highly prized environment – the harbour, the coast, our mountains, parks and open spaces – and how to safeguard these places.
A Plan for Growing Sydney is the Government’s plan to achieve these things. It’s an action plan focused on bringing all stakeholders together with a common purpose – to develop a competitive economy with world-class services and transport; to deliver greater housing choice to meet our changing needs and lifestyles; to create communities that have a strong sense of wellbeing; and to safeguard our natural environment.
Planning where people will live and work across Sydney, and how these places are connected to each other, will influence Sydney’s long-term success and the standard of living our communities will enjoy. It is critical not to repeat the mistakes of the past – dispersed housing growth that resulted in a sprawling and poorly connected city, complicated by unique geographic constraints. Planning for Sydney’s inevitable population growth has never been more important.
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THE PLAN
The Government’s vision for Sydney is: a strong global city, a great place to live.
To achieve this vision, the Government has set down goals that Sydney will be:
- a competitive economy with world-class services and transport;
- a city of housing choice with homes that meet our needs and lifestyles;
- a great place to live with communities that are strong, healthy and well connected; and
- a sustainable and resilient city that protects the natural environment and has a balanced approach to the use of land and resources.
This Plan sets out actions that will deliver these goals for Sydney. Each goal has a number of priority areas (directions which provide a focus for the actions). The actions include:
- accelerating urban renewal across Sydney at train stations, providing homes closer to jobs;
- growing a more internationally competitive Sydney CBD;
- growing Greater Parramatta as Sydney’s second CBD;
- transforming the productivity of Western Sydney through growth and investment;
- enhancing capacity at Sydney’s Gateways – Port Botany, Sydney Airport and Badgerys Creek Airport;
- delivering the infrastructure that is needed;
- promoting Sydney’s arts and culture, tourism and entertainment industries;
- protecting our natural environment; and
- managing long-term growth.
The Plan includes a new approach to delivery with the establishment of the Greater Sydney Commission – a dedicated new body with responsibility to drive delivery of the Plan.
A Plan for Growing Sydney applies to the Sydney Metropolitan Area – 41 Local Government Areas from Pittwater in the north to Wollondilly in the south and Blue Mountains in the west.
Source: http://www.strategy.planning.nsw.gov.au/sydney/the-plan/ – the Introduction
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Source of blog post: https://voakl.net/2015/03/11/the-auckland-plan-and-the-sydney-plan-2/
In regards to the Hearings I will not be attending the Hearing for the Transport Topic. I will request that the Panel ‘consider’ my submission in regards to Transport along with the other submissions.
I will be however, definitely attending the Hearing in September on the Centres Zones though 😀
Workshops for the Residential Zones begin at the end of the month as well. Sure to be “robust” that is for sure.
Talking Southern Auckland 