Category: Planning

Looking at all things planning.
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Serious Fraud Office to Investigate – Auckland Transport

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SFO to investigate previous “Conflict of Interest” claims

In 2013 it was revealed that there were issues relating to Auckland Transport’s roading unit (see: NOTICED AND NOT REALLY SURPRISED)

On Thursday and rather quietly given that we have just gone through the Easter Weekend, the Serious Fraud Office confirmed it would begin investigating Auckland Transport into the roading contract saga back in 2013.

From Radio NZ:

Auckland Transport charges laid

Updated at 9:32 am on 3 April 2015

Auckland Transport said the claims related to its road corridor maintenance business, which looks after more than 700 kilometres of roading in the region.

The Serious Fraud Office began its investigation, independent of Auckland Transport’s internal investigation, in October 2013.

Yesterday, it laid charges against an unspecified number of individuals linked to the council-controlled agency. No court dates have yet been set.

In a statement, Auckland Transport said a thorough review of processes and documentation was undertaken throughout 2012 and 2013.

It said it had since brought in more robust procurement processes and introduced new levels of contract oversight.

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Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/270311/auckland-transport-charges-laid

Something tells me this might be only the tip of the iceberg if a full investigation into Auckland Transport was to be done. That is turning everything right over upside down to make sure all is kosher in an organisation that can consume upwards of 54% of our Rates.

Policy on Legal High Sale Areas Adopted

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Council Resolves Policy around Legal Highs

From Auckland Council:

Auckland’s legal high sale areas agreed

Areas where the sale of psychoactive substances, otherwise known as legal highs, will be allowed in Auckland have been agreed by Auckland Council today.

The council’s Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approved the proposed Local Approved Product Policy (LAPP), which will prevent the sale of products near vulnerable communities, schools, or treatment centres for mental health issues or substance abuse.

Retail licenses to sell government approved products will be guided by the policy which was developed with stakeholders and a public consultation and hearings process. Licenses will be issued by the psychoactive substances regulatory authority, not Auckland Council.

Councillor Linda Cooper, Chair of the LAPP Hearings panel, says that the policy had to find a balance between respecting the legal right for shops to sell the products and the need to protect the most vulnerable in the community.

“From our work in consultation with Aucklanders, we quickly found that many people wanted the products banned outright,” she says.

“However as it is the Government licensing the products, we could only act within the legal parameters that were set, which meant controlling the areas where the products could be sold.

“So we have tried to find a balance between the legal rights of retailers to sell the products while keeping the most vulnerable away from easy access to them.

“I am pleased with the policy and with the committee’s decision to adopt it, and hope it will go some way to protecting those in our community who need it most.”

It is expected that the government will begin licensing the products again later this year, while the policy will be reviewed by the council in two years.

Further Information

The policy specifies:

Auckland general – except for the city centre

 

  1. For all areas of Auckland, apart from the city centre, licences to retail legal psychoactive substances will not be granted in:
  • areas of high deprivation – deprivation 10, 9 and 8
  • neighbourhood centers
  • within 500m of a school teaching students year seven and above
  • within 200m of a school teaching students between years one and six inclusive
  • within 500m of a mental health or addiction treatment center
  • within 500m of an existing psychoactive substances retail licence
  •  within 100m of an marae
  1. For all areas of Auckland, apart from the city centre, licences to retail legal psychoactive substances will not be granted in the following special restricted areas: (areas identified as special restricted areas are shown in Appendix One)
  • Hunters corner commercial area – Papatoetoe
  • Manurewa commercial Area – Manurewa
  • Mt Wellington Highway / Waipuna road commercial area – Mt Wellington
  • Papakura Caravan Park commercial area – Papakura
  • Don Buck road / Triangle road commercial area – Henderson
  • Manukau Station road commercial area – Manukau
  • Te Hana commercial area – Rodney

Auckland city centre restrictions

  • For the city centre it is proposed that licences to retail legal psychoactive substances will not be granted in:
  1. areas of residential deprivation
  2. within 200m of an existing psychoactive substances retail licence.

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