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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.

Tamaki Redevelopment

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Seems It is Finally Going?

 

I picked up this particular article in the Herald this morning in regards to Tamaki.

From the NZH

Leg up on cards for low-income areas

By Simon Collins 5:30 AM Tuesday Jun 18, 2013

Intensive housing project of 6000 homes and ideas for attracting new businesses and training organisations will help revitalise eastern suburbs around Tamaki estuary.

 

Auckland‘s low-income suburbs of Glen Innes, Pt England and Panmure will roughly double in population under a draft plan for more intensive housing to be unveiled today.

The urban “regeneration” project, which could add up to 6000 new homes to an existing 5050, is expected to be one of the first “special housing areas” with fast-tracked resource consent processes under a housing accord signed last month by Housing Minister Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

 

The target of 6000, included in the accord, makes it the biggest housing development scheduled in Auckland and twice as big as the 3000-unit Hobsonville development.

It covers the area between West Tamaki Rd in the north and the Panmure Basin in the south, including 2880 Housing NZ homes, about 1160 owner-occupied houses and just over 1000 private rental properties.

Unlike other developments, the draft Tamaki strategy also includes 11 other social, economic and environmental elements, as well as housing, designed to make the area more liveable despite doubling the population density.

 

The area is among Auckland’s most deprived, with a 2006 median income of only $20,000 and an employment rate of only 52 per cent, compared with 65 per cent across Auckland. Sole parents make up almost half the area’s families.

But the strategy sees opportunities for more jobs and training by attracting new businesses, redeveloping under-used land along the existing railway and encouraging training agencies such as Manukau Institute of Technology, Unitec and Te Wananga o Aotearoa to take over parts of Auckland University‘s Tamaki campus, which the university plans to sell as it develops a new campus in Newmarket.

 

…

 

Aims of the project

1. Cultural identity
Work with iwi and heritage groups to protect cultural landmarks; run community events; facilitate a weekend or night market; include public art in all major projects.

2. Healthy, happy children
Support early childhood education through Tamaki Learning Champions; support e-learning and driver’s licence training; promote child-friendly parks.

3. Health and recreation
Support sports clubs to increase sporting participation; support an integrated family health centre; support watersports facility at Panmure wharf and multi-sports facilities at Dunkirk Reserve.

4. Safety
Support Maori wardens and Maori and Pacific youth groups.

5. Education
Work to keep educational courses when Auckland University sells its Tamaki campus.

6. Employment
Support services for beneficiaries returning to work, eg, CVs, financial literacy; use Tamaki Redevelopment Company jobs as stepping stones to other work.

7. Economic development
Attract new businesses; use housing developments to foster construction industry businesses.

8. Innovation
Develop affordable housing; support social finance initiatives for social enterprise and small business.

9. Urban environment
Work with council to redevelop Glen Innes town centre, including shared spaces for pedestrians and cars; also to redevelop Panmure town centre.

10. Housing
Work with Housing NZ to decide which houses to keep or redevelop; build or promote a range of housing types, including affordable housing; buy or sell land to create development parcels.

11. Natural environment
Use environmentally sustainable practices, eg, solar power, collected rainwater, sustainable materials; develop paths along Tamaki River and connecting green spaces; support community gardens.

12. Transport
Work with private investors to reopen former Tamaki railway station and develop park-and-ride facilities.

Have your say

*Celebrating Community Day, Glen Innes town centre, this Saturday, 11am-2pm.
*Panmure flea market, Sunday June 30, 9am-noon.
*Glen Innes Kulture and Kai market, Saturday July 6, 8am-1pm.
*Online: tamakimakingithappen.co.nz

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You can read the article over at the Herald site itself

But it seems after years if not decades of procrastination this large brownfield redevelopment project is slowly getting under way. Not without controversy mind you in regards to the relocation of state houses in the area.

I remember back in 2010 when I was a University of Auckland Master of Planning Practice student in my second semester having to trot out to Glen Innes and “research” the area. The purpose behind that being that as the second urban design paper of the course (there were two at the time) I/we (the class) had to produce a redevelopment paper for Tamaki and present it to the residents and businesses.

I still have that final development paper gathering dust and cobwebs stored away along with other “mothballed” urban design work I wrote as a student back then.

In the end the paper scored an ‘A-‘ and received favourable reviews. Again like my previous Wynyard Quarter urban design piece (which also go a ‘A-‘) it was deemed controversial but, only because I went macro (rather than micro like the class did) in the design work (so take the whole area rather than a set small area) and did something entirely different to what the rest of the class did.

It also showed my natural knack for urban and transport design rather than the Resource Management Act based stuff (that the bulk of the Masters was) which I found incredibly boring and mundane. And before someone pipes up, yes I just did a 104 page submission to the Unitary Plan which owes its life to the RMA itself (being an RMA based document). However, while I did make mention of Section 4 – the rules; the bulk of the submission had very close links to urban and transport design and management (the zones and the centres). I think I could put this all down to two decades of Sim City for my urban and transport design and management knack – thanks Maxis.

But, back to the paper: After the paper was marked it was intentioned that communication links between Tamaki and myself would be kept open. It never happened after one meeting when communications went cold at the other end. More to the point I was no longer fussed with the developments in Tamaki after 2010 despite an A-grade paper that was ahead of its time gathering the dust in some draw somewhere in the house. 

 

So I see this article crop up about Tamaki and go read it. Afterwards I go brush the cobwebs off the Urban Design piece I wrote three years ago. I suppose I still give a fuss about Tamaki even if the Council and Government apparatus are treated in suspicion.

Good news is that I have a digital copy of my Tamaki Redevelopment Project paper from 2010. You can have a read on what I proposed three years ago and compare to what is being proposed and built today. It does make interesting comparisons.

 

Auckland 2040 – So We Need to Talk

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But Please – Lay Off the Main Stream Media

 

This is a message for the Auckland 2040 Lobby Group

I have received and noted feedback from you (2040) via a third-party on me. I have noted that you have seen my often scathing remarks against you in regards to the Unitary Plan but; I have also noted that you (2040) have read my 104 page submission which included the Special Character Zones, and Manukau and were “impressed” (words handed back this way).

Admittedly relations between myself and Auckland 2040 would be “frosty” and that can be owed to the heavy debunking spearheaded from this end in the last weeks of the Unitary Plan feedback process. Those relations as of current are still frosty.

However, if truce flags are willing to be raised the guns will fall silent for the duration. That is Auckland 2040 – if you were “impressed” at the submission I wrote and the introduction of the Special Character Zone then the next move is yours – you know where to find me or contact me.

 

In saying that I do have on request though for Auckland 2040. Lay of the Main Stream Media appearances please – for your sakes not mine nor the City’s.

Why do I ask this? I saw your interview on the NZ Herald yesterday (Friday) and heard your question at the Auckland Conversations on Population Trends. From those I can deduce that your fixation on three set issues are truly annoying the city to no-ends of the Earth and will not win you any allies in getting the Unitary Plan modified to something more palatable to the city as a whole. Oh and the wider city also does not care if one of your “heads” has 30-years of planning experience if the humility and “nous” is somewhat lacking (meaning get a PR guru and a face that can sell your message without annoying the city (Of particular note here: If I as an individual can sell off a successful message in the social media and MSM realms and get mentioned for it – without annoying the bulk of the wider city there might be some lessons here for you guys on “facilitating the debate”)).

As for the three issues annoying the city they are:

  1. Fixation on the North Shore with little regards for elsewhere in the city including the South and the West
  2. Fixation of trying to lower the population projection. The statistics are saying otherwise to your claims. So at least just pause until we get the latest Census results to see where things are going on a more up to date reflection. You did seriously annoy the audience with your fixation at that Conversation piece last week earning you no favours.
  3. And for heaven’s sake – drop the three storey issue in the Mixed Housing Zone. I and others have already debunked that piece (Guy Haddleton’s house in a Single Housing Zone) and will always have it as ammunition if need be against you. Three storey pieces can already happen under the existing plans and not much changes in the Unitary Plan. Constantly banging on about it especially in regards to the North Shore will definitely earn you no favours. If you want my advice on this; three storey pieces will happen, let’s get the quality right and in-line with our population growth. Do that and you would win more friends.

Now was that advice harsh? Maybe but, it is also valid. Valid in me laying out my concerns to you so we have a no surprises policy when reaching out and thawing relations as well as where I currently stand.

 

As mentioned earlier – your move next.

Ben Ross
Talking Auckland

 

Unitary Plan and that Twitter Spam

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Not bad for an individual

And for Auckland – Our Auckland

 

While my main internet is down and I have let rip back to Telecom for taking 6 days to restore my internet (even though it is Chorus which probably deserves something placed under their backside) I have hooked up my 2-Degree Mobile to the main PC. Okay the connection is slow but it is working (and thanks to 2-Degrees for carry-over data. All that spare data will be going to use) 😀

 

This major pain for me in not having my main internet does show the reliance on the Digital Age. But what the Digital Age does show is that some of us will use it to its full and utter potential.

This morning I got mentioned in the Council/Local Body Chairs’ workshop on the Feedback for the Unitary Plan (that closed May 31) that I was the top Tweeter on the #shapeauckland (shapeauckland.co.nz) feed amongst other things. Apparently I dropped 250+ Tweets over the 11-week feedback period. 

So what was the numbers of that feedback for the UP:

  • 22,700 pieces of feedback (both individual and Pro-Forma)
  • 2,000 News items (1,150 on the internet)
  • 6,500 Social Media pieces from Facebook, Twitter and blogs to which I provided the following:
    • 250+ Tweets
    • 104 blog posts
    • 208 combined Facebook posts via the Blog
    • 100 individual stand along Facebook posts not connected to the blog
    • 10% of all Social Media “feeds” and “posts

Not particularly bad for me running this all on my own from Talking Auckland.

While things have calmed down for now with Unitary Plan posts, it will ramp up again most likely when the UP goes for formal notification. And that notification is a three-year period :O

But hey, Civic and Professional Duty here in traversing both sides of the spectrum and being your Number One leading and independent Unitary Plan commentator 😀

Job well done (okay patting myself on the back here)

 

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

 

Rethink the Housing Accord says Auckland 2040

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Rethink or NIMBY‘s Striking Again?

 

Auckland 2040 released a press statement on Monday about the Housing Accord. This will be due to that Auckland Council is giving their submission to the Accord today after deliberations yesterday at the Auckland Plan Committee that I sat in and observed.

This is the press release from Auckland 2040

Rethink the Housing Accord says Auckland 2040

Monday, 10 June, 2013 – 11:41

Auckland 2040 says linking the Auckland Housing Accord to the notification of the draft Unitary Plan (DUP) will put pressure on the Council to ‘fast track’ the plan ignoring around 14,000 submissions.

The coalition has written to Housing Minister Nick Smith requesting that he reconsider tying the Accord to the DUP notification and providing an alternative solution. It’s concerned that Aucklanders have just had their first look at the DUP, invested considerable time in preparing submissions and that the planners won’t have the time to read, consider or adopt the suggestions.

Auckland 2040 spokesperson and planner Richard Burton says there are serious shortcomings in the DUP and it’s important that the Council is not forced to notify the Plan before it is ready.

“We do not believe that Auckland Council has the time or the resources to consider the large number of submissions received, to rethink the Unitary Plan and rectify the problems by the target notification date of 1 September. Much more time is needed to prepare a quality Plan.

“There’s also an easy solution that will take the pressure off the planners and make sure Aucklanders have not wasted their time making submissions. We suggest Council identify Special Housing Areas (SHAs) and then prepare Structure Plans. These will also ensure better quality housing,” said Richard.

The current Auckland Housing Accord makes no mention of requiring Structure Plans for SHAs which Auckland 2040 argues is a serious omission. It says that structure plans will avoid haphazard unplanned development by matching the level of development intensity to infrastructure capacity, including roads, waste water and other services. It would also integrate residential development with reserves, community facilities and schools. Community consultation is another component of a Structure Plan and would allow greater consideration of the interface between SHA’s and adjoining communities. Qualifying SHA Developments would then have to comply with the Structure Plan.

“Requiring Structure Plans in the Accord legislation doesn’t need to be overly time-consuming. Auckland Council could quickly identify a number of SHAs and then commence planning. The other advantage of this approach is that neighbours and affected parties will have a say in the process. Without meaningful consultation and a right of appeal, the potential for abuse is high,” says Richard.

Auckland 2040 is a coalition of local non-political groups passionately concerned about the long- term implications of the draft Unitary Plan (DUP). It wants Auckland Council to ‘ReThink’ the Plan in order to balance intensification with infrastructure capability and urban character values. The group opposes random high density multi-story apartments haphazardly scattered throughout Auckland, poor planning and provision for infrastructure, and inadequate community involvement in the Plan. For more information go to http://auckland2040.org.nz/.

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All seems good doesn’t it? On paper it does look good what Auckland 2040 is suggesting with Special Housing Areas and these Structure Plans. These Structure Plans could end up similar to my proposed Semi-Liberal Planned Districts for greenfield areas and Centralised Master Community Plans for brownfield areas.

However, there is a catch. My SLPD and CMCP’s take effect when the Unitary Plan is in operation. Meaning it has been thrashed out and the Rural Urban Boundary options firmed up after research and further consultation.

Auckland 2040’s idea would take effect once the Accord was in operation which would not bother me per say. But, in knowing Auckland 2040 they would clam up in any Brownfield Special Housing Areas being put forward (especially on the Isthmus and North Shore) and dump the entire lot in the Greenfield areas out in the south.

In Auckland 2040 would like to suggest a Brownfield area on the Isthmus and North Shore that would have significant development then let me know in the comments box your location choice below. Otherwise your subsequent silence would imply pro-sprawl behaviour down here in the south. Of which I believe the NIMBY term applies.

 

What is wrong with lugging significant developments in the greenfield areas now? We of the south are still going through the Rural Urban Boundary processes at the moment. Currently in the Unitary Plan feedback process that closed last month we got to choose one of three options we would think best for Greenfield development under the UP. Council is now considering this and hopefully are doing capacity and infrastructure studies on the options. Once done it is meant to be reported back and a more informed selection can be made by us in the formal notification stage at the end of the year.

What Auckland 2040 are doing is effectively short circuiting the RUB process away from Southern Auckland. It can also be implied through some of the NIMBY aspects of Auckland 2040 that they would want the bulk of the SHA’s in the greenfield zones.

I’d rather have the RUB processes done fully and properly first. As I have mentioned before if the wrong section of land is opened up down here in the South the unintended consequences are large. That being the Karaka-Weymouth Bridge which has upset a lot of people here.

 

So what do we do now?

Sit and wait for the council to finish the southern RUB work. Lets see how many houses we can get, what infrastructure is needed and at what cost, and what employment centre bases will also be needed as well. Suggesting SHA’s down here now would be beyond pointless when we and the area are simply not ready.

The RUB Addendum 1/2

The RUB Addendum 2/2

 

A Fresh Perspective at the Unitary Plan

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The Unitary Plan from Zoe’s Perspective

 

I caught this piece from a comment mayoral candidate John Palino made on Facebook yesterday morning while I was reading Orsman’s piece from the NZ Herald. It is called “The Unitary Plan – Zoe’s Perspective” and it takes a look the Unitary Plan from Zoe’s viewpoint.

An extract from Channel:

The Unitary Plan – Zoe’s Perspective

Zoe Lenzie-Smith is a 20 year old student who stepped up to present her perspective on the Unitary Plan in the public forum of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board meeting held on Tuesday May 21st. Her perspective certainly added some balance to the heated debate.

Zoe is an undergraduate studying a BSc majoring in Biology, and a specification of Environmental Science at the University of Auckland. She was born in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, and emigrated to Auckland in 2000 – and considered herself to be a kiwi as soon as she arrived. Zoe says she loves the sea, great music, weekend markets and is passionate about working with people to create positive change that benefits the survival of future generations. She is a member of a group called Generation Zero.

 

This is a solution focused social movement of young people. It’s purpose is to move thinking beyond fossil fuels and mitigate against the threat of climate change. This was the content of Zoe’s presentation to the Devonport Takapuna Local Board.

20 year old student Zoe Lenzie-Smith made this presentation to the public forum of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board in late May:

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You can read the rest over at the Channel’s website

What Zoe did at the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board meeting on The Unitary Plan would have taken courage above and beyond what would be “normally required.” I say that as I know the North Shore UP meetings went towards the rabid end if the Auckland 2040 debunking on this blog was anything to go by.

In Zoe presenting her legitimate case to the Local Board though on what SHE wants to see in the Unitary Plan and thus the future of her Auckland – her home, I tip my hat out of absolute respect and encouragement.

 

Yet it is not over with the Unitary Plan. There is still more come even before formal notification at the end of the year. We still have:

  • Initial responses to the feedback round of the Unitary Plan
  • Changes to the UP as a result of the feedback
  • Southern Rural Urban Boundary work in getting studies and further consultations on the three options available to us down here in the South
  • That cursed Housing Accord and its Special Housing Areas

Oh the fun times ahead

But myself and my firm will be here through to the end with the Unitary Plan providing our range of services tailored for you.

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

 

 

http://www.channelmag.co.nz/community-mainmenu-35/webpage-2702/the-unitary-plan-zoe-s-perspective