Category: Hot Discussion

An issue causing hot discussion either here in the blog or in the wider community

And This Mention from Metro

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Mentions and A Piece on Cycling

 

Well I have my copy of the July issue of Metro Magazine and you should get your copy too. I see Metro misquoted mayoral candidate John Palino on Manukau – groan and even has full length piece on cycling in Auckland and the hurdles Skypath faces (when it should not and is a case with the opposition that should be told “oi the 1950s want their planning methodology back.”)

To the matter at hand though – the Unitary Plan I suppose all that social media spam I sent over 11 weeks was going to get picked up somewhere. And it has both on Media-3 and now Metro magazine.

Short but you get the point (plus some other replies including from our resident grumps):

 

Talking Auckland commentary will continue on the UP as it happens. In an interesting sense of irony though looking at numbers; if I were to break story on a leak on transport AND then one on the Unitary Plan at the same time, guess which one would get the most “views?” It would be the Unitary Plan leak. Just seems even though when complain heaps about transport in Auckland, it is just simply not as sexy to run commentary on as much as the UP (generates in interest). Go figure…

 

As a quick side note I have my first speaking engagement next week in Manukau on Manukau (as the Second CBD of Auckland). Seems the idea is gathering pace and steam here and should be one Council be actively considering.

Checking in on Height and Metro Magazine

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Enquiry away with Council

And Apparently I got a mention in the July Issue of Metro

 

I have sent an email away to Council seeking clarification around the “themes” to which our submissions are being codified against. This has been done after a comment was raised by Mark Thomas of Orakei Local Board in regards to the issue of height and my comment on the first workshop that looked at height in particular.

The said comments were reflected in my “Update on Unitary Plan SubmissionĀ Counts” in particular Mark’s comment:

And the top ā€œthemesā€ submitted on are:

  • ā€œRezoning requestsā€,
  • followed by ā€˜Natural Environmentā€,
  • ā€œResidentialā€
  • and ā€œTransportationā€.
  • Oddly, height (which doesnā€™t need speech marks because you know what it means) is not a theme submissions are being coded againstā€¦.

 

The extract from my email back to Council outlining the query and reason for the clarification around the issue:

Okay this is leading to confusion amongst my readers and even myself. Here we had the workshop on “principles of development” in regards to our centres in particular height yesterday.
Yet at this point in time knowing that height was a major issue right across the city (including where I live in Papakura and where I often conduct business in Manukau) (not just three particular areas that were in the MSM) it is not a theme in which submissions are being codified against – unlike zoning which is a theme (the biggest one) and being codified for.
Further more I know from blog correspondence that quite a few individualised submissions (that is those that were not pro-forma) when mentioning height as a “theme,” those particular submissions often had alternatives for the heights that were recommended in the Draft UP (including my own submission).
So height is not as a theme submissions are being codified against – yet we have individualised submissions talking about it as a theme and often with alternatives in contrast to the UP?

Once I get a reply back from Council in regards to issue I will post it back into the blog. Seems things have evolved from being just a blogger and commentator to now blogger, commentator and investigative journalist. Ah well such as the nature of the beast that is social media.

 

As for Metro Magazine; apparently I have received a mention in the editorial section of July’s issue of Metro Magazine. I believe it might be in relation to my Unitary Plan Twitter Spam but, will have to check. I shall get my copy of Metro today and take a look and if so inclined stick it up on the blog tomorrow.

In saying that make sure you get your July issue of Metro for some winter reading (Simon the invoice is being sent to you for that little spiel later today šŸ˜‰ )

 

The Next Steps for the Unitary Plan ā€“ All That Feedback and What Happens

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A Series on this Round of the Unitary Plan before it goes to Formal Notification

Part Three: What happens to all that feedback?

 

The question actually is how do the planners, Local Board and Auckland Plan Committee members (the Councillors) wade through 22,700 pieces of Unitary Plan feedback.

I have not been to Level 22 of the Council building where the planners are busy trudging through all that feedback we sent in and either codifying our replies or sending the more “technical” stuff off for a further look. But, from what I have heard and been briefed on the task is a major undertaking and one I would not envy in a hurry.

As a recap from Part One of this series this is what essentially happens with your feedback:

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FEEDBACK?

In short three things can happen depending on what you sent in.

If it was pro-forma (and there was 6,500 pieces from 35 groups that did this) it is essentially tallied up and totals assigned to set ā€œtopics.ā€ Stuff done on an Excel sheet.

If you wrote an individual submission it can land in one of two places in the codifying exercise. All individual submissions are collated, summarised and codified according to ā€œtopicā€ and will be sent for political direction ā€“ usually theĀ AucklandĀ Plan Committee. If in your individual submission you decided to go highly technical (and some did) then your piece is worked over by senior planners and topic experts at a finer level. Your technical points will then be ā€œaddressedā€ accordingly.

To make the point clear; it can be taken that for individual submissions that are collated will be presented and reviewed at direction setting workshops via The Auckland Plan Committee. Collated information is divided by topic and will be worked over by experts who will flesh out the concepts from the submissions and again presented for direction setting at the Committee. I do wish them luck trying to codify and collate my 104 page monster with it covering I think 10 different issues.

…

 

Now Council have pointed out that not all submissions (especially those pro-forma’s) will be raising unique points (hence how the top 5 themes are deduced). Because of this the Council is able to effectively and efficiently build a summary analysis of that particular group of feedback (a theme) which is then fed back to the workshops and Committee.

This codifying and summary analysis (as well as working on the technical and unique material (Manukau as a Second CBD is deemed a unique point)) allows for staggering the discussions of the Unitary Plan with high priority issues going first (currently height and centres). At each workshop the Committee and Local Board (chairs at the moment) have access to the relevant summary analysis material which guides their decision-making and recommendations for direction setting by the Auckland Plan Committee.

Meaning? Lots and lots and LOTS of meetings around tables drinking filter coffee and eating a pile of scones. It also means in reporting the Auckland Plan Committee meetings as they happen I am going to get a numb backside for sitting on a chair for six hours and me hating the cursed air conditioning in Town Hall which plays havoc with my eyes.

So that is basically this is what is happening with your feedback at the moment. I am getting snippets from Local Board Chairs after the workshops some issues that are cropping up. While the debate is robust and Councillors are behaving themselves, the most common issue I am getting is that the summary analysis on the feedback is lacking. That is the codifying has not advanced enough to get anything meaningful from our feedback to the Local Board Chairs so they can work on our points raised with the committee. An issue that will need to be looked at.

 

A Brief Insight to the Inner Workings?

A thought had come to Ā mind and I am going to email this to the Council tomorrow. Maybe the media could take a guided tour of the process from: those people codifying on Level 22 (some has seen it already but others not), to a snippet of a workshop (say 30 mins of the workshop in action and nothing confidential being discussed at that particular moment) then the Auckland Plan Committee (which is open any how) where the decisions are finalised up.

Why such a guided tour?

To get a snap shot on what goes behind out of the public sight (but not our minds) might go a small way in improving Council’s “comm’s” effort after its C rating by our Deputy Mayor this week. Also the snap shot would keep the city in the loop outside of media releases and help give a better understanding what is happening out of our sight and more to the point why.

Yes we know workshops should be full and frank discussions but for just a 30 minute glimmer the city might be able to just appreciate that little bit more the inner workings of an apparatus that consumes our money.

As I said I’ll email council and give it a crack. Can’t promise much though but one can try.

 

In Part Four of this series I shall take a look at the zoning changes (which is the number one theme in the Unitary Plan right now) as well as the Southern Rural Urban Boundary/

TALKING AUCKLAND

Talking Auckland: Blog of TotaRim Consultancy Limited

TotaRim Consultancy
Bringing Well Managed Progress to Auckland and The Unitary Plan

Auckland: 2013 – YOUR CITY, YOUR CALL

 

 

GAME ON

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Palino Verse Brown

 

I just caught this across Facebook just now and is worth a share

Must have been a birthday present for John because we can confirm a comprehensive poll was recently completed which showed John Palino very favourably in a two horse race vs. Len Brown! #johnpalinoformayor
Ā 

Now I have not seen the numbers yet personally (and may never will) but, I did comment this in return: “So where the MSM and Right Wing failed the rest of the city and this particular individual already knew. GAME ON!”

I had already warned both the Main Stream Media and Right Wing about their lack of “interest” and dismissive approach against those who are credible in standing again Len. It seems the city thinks differently and shows how offside our MSM and Right Wing are (that is Right Wing not the Centre Right Wing (two very different groups)). Offside owing to (and as I have mentioned before) to their last gasp clutching of the old system that dominated the old Auckland City Council arena for so many decades – yet has little relevance out in the South, West and even North.Ā 

Ā 

So it is game on folks for Mayor. You have two credible choices to make now in which direction you wish YOUR city – YOUR home to go. John Palino or Len Brown

Ā 

 

Consultation Begins on Southern Auckland P/T Network

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Get Your Feedback In

 

Yesterday Auckland Transport kicked off the consultation round on the Southern Auckland public transport network. We have until early August to “review” what is proposed and submit our feedback for AT’s consideration.

You can check the website dedicated to this over here: “New Public Transport Network”

Emphasis is placed on the following steps before you fill in that submission form:

New Network Southern Consultation

Consultation is open on the New Network for South Auckland from 19 June to 4pm, Friday 2 August 2013.

To find out about the proposed changes and have your say we suggest you follow these three steps:

Step 1:Ā Watch the videoĀ if you havenā€™t already, to understand how the New Network will transform Aucklandā€™s public transport system.

Step 2:Ā See theĀ maps, and read theĀ overview of the New Network for South AucklandĀ in more detail, to learn about how the New Network will affect you.

Step 3:Ā Have your say by completing theĀ online feedback form, or come along to anĀ open day.

If you are visually impaired or need assistance to complete the feedback form due to a disability, call our contact centre on 09 366 6400 and a call centre staff can complete the form on your behalf.

Download a consultation brochure in a language of your choice.

Read a consultation brochure in an accessible format.

Follow us onĀ Twitter.

Register to receive email updates about the New Network.

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Source – Auckland Transport

I notice AT have gone quite the length to communicate across as many mediums and in many languages as possible. I suppose that is owing to the diversity of those who live in South. So credit to Auckland Transport for their actual genuine attempt in reaching out across the spectrum in their communication – well done (and finally).

 

I have gone through the maps already and will be forming up my feedback soon. I notice the off-peak frequencies for the connector and especially the Local Services are a bit of a disappointment. A disappointment if the frequencies drop right back to hourly which does no one any good and continues to force car use unnecessarily. So AT has a bit of work to do in that department before the entire thing is finalised…

 

So what are your thoughts on the proposed network for the South? Comments welcome below.

 

From Yesterday’s Workshop

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Sorry Folks Have Not Got Much Here

 

Yesterday in my “The Next Steps for the Unitary Plan ā€“ ThoseĀ Workshops” post I made mention that the Auckland Plan Committee and Local Board Chairs held their first workshop. The workshop was on “the principles of development” around our centres – in particular height (which is not being codified as a theme against from our feedback).

In the same post I also made mention that at the end of each workshop a public statement will be released for our consumption. Despite a small glitch from the Council I have that statement which reads the following:

Heights discussed at first Unitary Plan workshop
Today elected members of Auckland Council attended the first post-engagement workshop following feedback on the draft Unitary Plan.
Ā 
Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse said the workshop brought together Local Board Chairs and the Auckland Plan Committee members to talk through the principles governing heights in centres and give interim direction on how changes will be made to the draft plan.
Ā 
ā€œThe political direction that came out of todayā€™s workshop is that, while we all agree we need a range of heights across our centres, we would like to see greater refinement to allow for variety within a centre where it is appropriate.ā€
Ā 
The direction-setting workshops, which will be held over June and July, reflect the main topics in the 22,700 pieces of feedback Aucklanders gave over 11 weeks of engagement.
Ā 
ā€œWe have started with centre heights as our first topic, as they set the framework for the level of development in other parts of Auckland.Ā 
Ā 
ā€œProposed height limits for Aucklandā€™s metropolitan, town and local centres have been widely debated, with clear argument coming through from each side of the debate. Our challenge for heights is to get the balance right and I believe we can do that,ā€ said the Deputy Mayor.
Ā 
Work will now start to refine the principles relating to height in centres as directed. These will then be presented for discussion at the next Auckland Plan Committee.
Ā 
For further details on the feedback and the next steps in the Unitary Plan process, please seeĀ the Shape Auckland site.

 

Sorry folks that is all we have right now. Unless a Councillor or Local Board Chair would like to make a further statement this is all we (the city) have to go with for now. And I am going to assume it will be like this until the July 2 Auckland Plan Committee where all the workings of the workshops reach the committee and are discussed in the “open.”

In saying that I will go and ask about the situation that arose to this comment yesterday:

  • Oddly, height (which doesnā€™t need speech marks because you know what it means) is not a theme submissions are being coded againstā€¦.

Follow up to that bullet point and my Part Three post will come up later today.

 

 

Unitary Plan Feedback

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Series Covering the pre notification round

 

I am making my way back from the Media Briefing on where we are with the Unitary Plan by the two Penny’s. Once back at base I will start writing up will become a series on the Unitary Plan prior to formal notification.

In brief though this is what was mentioned:

  • 22,700 pieces of Feedback
    • 6,500 of that was pro-forma by 35 different groups (so around a third of all pieces of feedback)
  • Council is still codifying the issues and responses. We won’t specifically know “topics” until the end of next week
  • Hot Topic Issues were though: height (which starts being looked at tomorrow) and zones (they are up for changes – both residential, business and the centres)
  • Three “reference”groups to be established: Universal Design, Heritage, and Significant Ecological Areas
  • Extensive work with Local Boards
  • Formal Notification date will be set most likely in August
  • Council admits its communication arm needs quite a bit of work (especially if blogs were taking up the slack quite a bit)

So as I said, I will get the first full post up hopefully by 6:30 tonight. After that a series will start on this pre-notification period in keeping YOU – the City up to date. It also means I have to revisit my company business model a bit – especially if a “media” arm is spun off here.