Category: News

A News Post on something that has happened

Auckland Plan Annual Update

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Getting There

 

Yesterday amongst other things the Auckland Development Committee heard the annual update on how well (or badly) the Auckland Plan is being implemented. The update will be up on the Council website soon and I will link it back when it is up.

In the mean time from Auckland Council:

Auckland Plan report shows good progress

 

Auckland is delivering on key Auckland Plan targets including a reduction in water consumption, an increase in access to sports fields and growth in the city’s GDP.

The Auckland Development Committee today (Thursday) received the third annual Auckland Plan progress update which tracks the progress of the plan’s actions and achievements over the past year.

Although the implementation of the plan has just begun, areas that still need improvement to reach set targets include levels of alcohol or drug impaired driving, low home ownership levels and lower than average export growth.

Auckland Development Committee Chair Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says the report is encouraging, however as expected some areas need improvement.

 

“This report shows many positive developments and progress we should be proud of as a region,” she says.

“We have launched the new electric train services, completed the roll-out of the AT HOP card system, and we heard last month how Aucklanders are now making 12 million train journeys each year, overtaking Wellington for the first time.

“The report notes that since the opening of the Panmure Station in January there has been a 57 per cent increase in passenger numbers with an average of 1,116 passengers a day compared to 100 in 2002.

“More children are enrolled in early childhood education and there is an increase in people gaining post-secondary qualifications which is really important as we strive to become the world’s most liveable city.”

The report says the council can look to events like the NRL Nines, which delivered $9.35 million in GDP to Auckland, to highlight the economic strength of the city and help boost visitor numbers.

“However it is not acceptable for us to still have so many people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or that the levels of homelessness are still high in Auckland,” says Ms Hulse.

“These challenges cannot be solved by council alone so we must continue to work with all Aucklanders and our key partners as envisaged by the Auckland Plan.

“The key is that we are aware of these challenges, and can adjust where we need to and improve our efforts in the right areas.”

 

Further Information

The Auckland Plan measures progress against seven outcomes:

  1. A Fair, Safe and Healthy Auckland
  2. A Green Auckland
  3. An Auckland of Prosperity and Opportunity
  4. A Well Connected and Accessible Auckland
  5. A Beautiful Auckland That is Loved by its People
  6. A Culturally Rich and Creative Auckland
  7. A Maori Identity That Is Auckland’s Point of Difference in the World.

 

—Ends—

 

The Auckland Plan also is measured against thirteen strategic directions for which four have been missed looking at the updates in the Agenda document below (see towards the end of the document):

 

NZTA Recommends City Rail Link Sooner Rather Later

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NZTA Briefs Minister, Minister Warm to the Idea

 

Electric Train at Britomart Source: pic.twitter.com/vjQZfMUeex
Electric Train at Britomart
Source: pic.twitter.com/vjQZfMUeex

NZTA (New Zealand Transport Agency) has recently briefed new Transport Minister Simon Bridges of activities the organisation is up to and keeping an eye on presently and for the future. This Briefing Incoming Ministers (or BiM) is routine and occurs after an election or when a Minister changes over for that respective Ministry.

 

The BIM to the Minister can be read below:

 

Of note I did pick the up the following in regards to the City Rail Link from NZTA:

5.8 CITY RAIL LINK – AUCKLAND
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are continuing to plan, design and acquire property for the City Rail Link. The City Rail Link is now being delivered in two distinct parts.
Phase One is the enabling works to build two rail tunnels between Britomart under Queen Street and the Downtown Shopping Centre, and a ‘cut and cover’ tunnel under Albert Street as far as Wyndham Street. The enabling works are planned for 2016 to 2017 to coincide with the planned
redevelopment of the Downtown Shopping Centre by Precinct Properties Ltd. Auckland Council is budgeting between $240 million and $250 million for these works. The aim is to complete the enabling works before the World Masters Games in April 2017. We think this is a sensible sequencing of enabling works which will minimise disruption of critical intersections in the CBD, and enable compliance with the planning conditions that only one intersection can be out of action at any one time. A more compact construction schedule at a later time would prove too disruptive.
Phase Two is the tunnel boring machine and station building stages of the project. This phase could start as early as 2018 and be completed by 2022 at a cost of around $2 billion. Design and procurement decisions for this phase could be taken progressively from 2015/16 onwards, but are dependent on future funding decisions and commitments. The Crown is not currently an active partner in the City Rail Link project implementation. The government has signalled it will only consider being a funding partner to enable a construction start in 2020, or possibly earlier if certain patronage or other targets are achieved. The risk of not being involved in these early stages is that the key elements of the project get determined in the meantime. If the Crown is to be a future funding partner it needs a mechanism to identify options and risks around planning, design, procurement and financing. We have experience in complex infrastructure projects of the scale of the City Rail Link. One mechanism to help manage Crown risk could be for the Transport Agency to become a technical partner with Auckland Transport in developing the City Rail Link. This would be consistent with the one transport system arrangements that have been forged with Auckland Transport and Auckland Council over the last 3-4 years.

…….

Source: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/briefing-for-incoming-minister/docs/briefing-to-incoming-minister-2014.pdf (page 25)

 

Minister Simon Bridges talks about the two phases to NewsTalk ZB earlier today: Simon Bridges: Auckland’s City Rail Link.

So it seems the Minister is quite warm to the City Rail Link being split into two phases as NZTA has recommended insofar as the Minister has given his blessing for phase one to begin (that is the enabling works) as soon as Council has its own finances sorted.

As for Phase Two the Minister right at the end of the interview gave a one word answer that all things lined up and considered, would allow this phase of the CRL to begin in 2018.

 

All this would bring the City Rail Link two-phase operation in line with what Councillor Linda Cooper tried to get through in the Budget Committee last week (Analysis on The Budget Committee Day One) which to me would have been a good “fail safe” device knowing the Government is holding firm to 2020. However, and rather stupidly the majority of the Budget Committee led by the Mayor are holding fast to whole hogging the CRL from 2016 no matter what.

 

For me and as noted in three City Rail Link podcasts what NZTA has proposed is a good Best of Both Worlds solution and would be entirely consistent with my calling to start the CRL around the 2017/2018 start date. That said it would be my stance over the last three years (when I last updated it from my original Auckland Plan submission) slightly updated to allow the enabling works so that we are in sync with the Precinct Property development in Downtown Auckland.

 

So NZTA has moved first and we have a Minister giving his blessing to the enabling works at the minimum while warm to Phase Two starting 2018 all things considered. Now would be a very good idea for Council to agree to the NZTA two-phase operation for the sanctity of the City Rail Link. In other words for an inflexible Mayor to be come a tad more flexible.

 

CRL Recent Podcasts

SELL IT

Selling the City Rail Link

The Weekend Analysis – Capacity and Frequencies open with The City Rail Link

 

Council Prosecuting under the Building Act

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Company Fined $9,000

 

From Auckland Council

Council successful in building prosecutions

 

Auckland Council has successfully prosecuted five companies under the Building Act for starting building works without building consent, including one which was fined $9,000.

In the Manukau District Court last week, Judge Sharon McAuslan fined Waikato Crane Services Ltd $9,000 for starting building works without building consent on a commercial building site for an office and workshop for cranes.

The building, at Langley Rd, Wiri, was about 75 per cent complete when council officers visited the site in late August.

 

Judge McAuslan determined the starting point for the offending as $14,000. After allowing a discount for various mitigating features, she fined the company $9,000 and court costs of $130. Auckland Council receives 90 per cent of the fine; the balance going to the courts.

 

The company said it relied on assurances given by an in-house project manager that proved to be incorrect and unreliable.

Four other companies – including a construction company, a plumber and drainlayer – were also fined between $4,550 and $3,250 – for breaches of the Act.

Auckland Council’s Manager Litigation & Regulatory, Legal Services, James Hassall said the fines imposed send a clear warning to companies and experts that they must ensure that all building work is carried out in accordance the legal obligations and requirements of the Building Act.

—–ends——

 

Pays to comply folks

 

Council Website Updates

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Still Issues, Hampering Research

 

From Auckland Council:

Update: Auckland Council website

 

Auckland Council says the continuing heavy traffic on its website means people may still experience intermittent delays in accessing property valuations.

People are advised to phone the council’s call centre on 0508 000 021 if they are unable to access their property value via the website and will receive this information over the phone. The centre has increased staff to cope with extra demand.

Acting Chief Finance Officer Kevin Ramsay says more capacity has been added to the website overnight, but if activity remains at the levels experienced over the past two days the problems may continue.

“The reality is that the demand is unprecedented and even with the additional capacity, people may still experience issues.”

Property owners have started receiving their notices of valuation in the mail.

Council property valuations – key facts:

  • Valuations, which are completed every three years, will be used to help determine the share of rates for each property for year beginning 1 July 2015, but have no impact on the amount of rates council collects overall
  • This year’s property revaluation showed an average capital value increase of 29 per cent since 2011
  • The average residential capital value increase was 34.8 per cent
  • All property owners will also receive a notice in the mail in mid-November
  • All property owners have the right to object to their values and the objections process is now open.

—-ends—–

 

Valuations Walk-Through: Run Through The Valuations

Valuations and the Unitary Plan: The Unitary Plan, the Recent Valuations

 

The GIS errors from the Council website is hampering research into land values in our industrial estates which what the second part of a podcast (first was this morning: The Unitary Plan, the Recent Valuations ) will be zeroing in on. Frustrating I know.

 

Council Website STILL Facing Issues

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Unacceptable

 

From Auckland Council as the website still faces issues:

Auckland Council website update

 

Auckland Council’s website is continuing to experience intermittent technical issues as people try to access the new 2014 property valuations published yesterday.

 

Acting Chief Finance Officer Kevin Ramsay says the council apologises for the ongoing problem. The council is adding more IT resources and bandwidth to its website to help cope with the traffic.

 

The website yesterday experienced a more than 1,000% increase in page views for a single day. On an average the site gets between 80,000 to 90,000 daily page views and yesterday, despite the intermittent site fluctuations, there were 977,968 page views.

 

“IT staff are working long hours to try to make the site more stable and resolve any of the technical issues involved and we apologise for the inconvenience.”

 

The valuations, which are completed every three years, will be used to help determine the share of rates for each property for year beginning 1 July 2015, but have no impact on the amount of rates council collects overall

 

Council property valuations – key facts: 

  • Property valuations help determine the share of rates people pay but have no impact on the amount of rates money the council collects

 

  • This year’s property revaluation showed an average capital value increase of 29 per cent since 2011

 

  • The average residential capital value increase was 34.8 per cent

 

  • All property owners will also receive a notice in the mail in mid-November

 

  • All property owners have the right to object to their values and the objections process is now open.

 

aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/ratesbuildingproperty/ratesvaluations/valuations/Pages/home.aspx

 

 

—ends—

 

Rather unacceptable and it seems it could have been avoidable as well after some rounds of coffees with friends in the IT sector.

The NBR has the responses from the Council Chief Financial Officer which can be seen here: http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/auckland-councils-property-value-website-crash-%E2%80%94-offline-problem

 

My Valuations Walk Through can be seen (or rather listened to) here: Run Through The Valuations

 

Follow up podcast on what could be done in response to the valuations will go up tomorrow.

 

Three Kings Submissions Extended

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Submission Deadline Extended Owing to Website Issues

 

From Auckland Council:

Three Kings Quarry submissions extended

 

The closing date for public submissions on two private plan changes by Fletcher Residential Ltd for the redevelopment of Three Kings Quarry has been extended to 5pm Friday 14 November 2014. 

 

Submissions were due to close on Monday 10 November.

 

The extension is a result of difficulties experienced by some online submitters caused by technical issues on the Auckland Council website resulting from large number of people accessing information on property revaluations.

—ends—

 

Questions around the saga of the Council website crashing still need to be answered seeming $700m was spent “upgrading” it.

 

Council Notice on Website Issues

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Ouch

 

From Auckland Council

Auckland Council apologises for difficulties accessing property valuations online

 

Auckland Council has apologised for difficulties accessing the new 2014 property valuations published on its website today.

Acting Chief Finance Officer Kevin Ramsay says council is working to resolve the issue but said that some people may still experience intermittent delays or difficulties accessing property valuations.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused,” Mr Ramsay said. “We are working to resolve this issue with our website as quickly as possible. We know there is huge interest in this year’s property valuations and had planned for a user-friendly experience, so it is regrettable these problems occurred.”

The valuations, which are completed every three years, will be used to help determine the share of rates for each property for year beginning 1 July 2015, but have no impact on the amount of rates council collects overall

Council property valuations – key facts:

 

  • Property valuations help determine the share of rates people pay but have no impact on the amount of rates money the council collects
  • This year’s property revaluation showed an average capital value increase of 29 per cent since 2011
  • The average residential capital value increase was 34.8 per cent
  • All property owners will also receive a notice in the mail in mid-November
  • All property owners have the right to object to their values and the objections process is now open.

More at: aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/ratesbuildingproperty/ratesvaluations/valuations/Pages/home.aspx

——-ends——

Note: the Residential Average I used for the base formula in my previous post is at 34.8% not 34% as I stated. I means I am up for a Rates rise of 7.1% not 7.9% as mentioned earlier. None the less it is still looking down the barrel of a stiff Rates rise on these approximates!