Category: Manukau

Unitary Plan Updates Day 4

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And Auckland Just Got Sent Back to the 1960’s

 

I will post a full update tomorrow on Day 4’s proceedings which did not even get to the Rural Urban Boundaries.

In short after the gains we made getting Auckland to the 1970’s on Friday, Councillors and Local Board Chairs (some in each category) managed to send Auckland straight back to the 1960’s (it would have been 50’s if Councillor Brewer’s last amendments did not get defeated).

And so the question to those Councillors and Local Board Chairs: Where are the houses going to go? Because they will not all fit in the 160,000/40% Greenfield allocation within the Rural Urban Boundary – less Manukau, New Lynn and Albany can get some impressive 26-36 storey towers to take the brunt…

 

My report (scathing as that will be) will be up tomorrow. None the less it has given an extreme sense of urgency to the Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre and getting that set up for the South.

 

Updates and Coming Ups

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All Go as we march towards September 5

 

Things are “quiet” at the moment as we head towards September 5 – the day when the Governing Body (Council) either: sets a date for formal notification for the Unitary Plan or sends it back to the Auckland Plan Committee for more refinement after the elections (October 12).

Prior to September 5 though we have the final Auckland Plan Committee meetings to be held 28-30 August. These meetings will formally decide what from the 7000 pages of “tracked changes” made to the Unitary Plan goes into the next version of the UP that will be decided for notification. Of course I will be at the Auckland Plan Committee meetings running live commentary as the proceedings happen. Also once I receive a copy of the tracked changes I will see if I can upload it for those who wish to view it.

 

While we wait for all this to occur, feel free to brush up on the latest in the run up to September 5. As we call for level heads as the Councillors make these big decisions, a reminder what is at stake can be seen in these two posts:

 

The Congestion Free Network

Mayor Len Brown has met with representatives from Generation Zero and Auckland Transport Blog to discuss the overall narrative of the Congestion Free Network alternative (to the 2012 Integrated Transport Program). You can read ATB’s report on it here: Len Brown and the Congestion Free Network

Talking Auckland is supportive of this move and will be keeping a close eye on this as preparations are made for the 2015 Integrated Transport Program. Of course I wonder if they should be adding a line to Manukau from the south as the South Link continues to build momentum. The report on the South Link is due around November and I will be keeping tabs with Auckland Transport as time draws nearer.

 

Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre

Work continues to advance on restoring the love in Manukau. TotaRim and stakeholders are working together in preparing to draw up plans to present to Council on both the “theory” and “practical” fronts.

The theory front is getting the Super Metropolitan Centre definition inserted into the Unitary Plan. This is important for two reasons. First reason is that the SMC definition has wider implications to the city and allows Albany to be upgraded to that definition when they are ready to do so. The second reason is that the definition gives weight to the emphasis on social planning as well as physical planning. No point building a grand physical city centre if people identify it negatively now is there.

As for practical, this mean getting an Area Plan drawn up for Manukau and to be executed through the life of the Unitary Plan.

Updates will be posted as they occur with this being the most recent: Continued Advancement with Manukau and Southern Auckland

 

This brings to a close this round of updates. Talking Auckland will post the tracked changes of the Unitary Plan if possible to do so as soon as I receive a copy.

 

 

Update on Manukau Interchange

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Going to have to force a redesign

 

Council has just endorsed the Lot 59-Concept on the Manukau Interchange and future subsequent developments in the area. Having read the Auckland Transport Blog comments (and they are for the most part educated comments so I take them with a measure of seriousness), reviewed feedback I got back after I posted on the issue yesterday and today, and compare it to what is being looked in the Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre work that is slowly starting, I am rejecting the endorsement given.

Thus I will have a discussion with clients TotaRim has in the Manukau area and decide whether to lobby council to get the interchange redesigned better.

Because to be honest it is a poor standard design and will be both asking for trouble and not serve Manukau and wider South Auckland as it should! I am sorry but it is a design and reinforces 1970s planning that makes Manukau currently unloved and so needing much love.

We can do better and Council and AT need to be shown that.

I will seek advice on whether I can speak against the Concept at the next Auckland Plan Committee meeting…

 

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Related articles

Heavy Auckland Plan Committee Agenda

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Going to be a long and contentious day

 

August 13 is going to be a very long and contentious day in Town Hall starting at 10am sharp.

While the agenda is not as long as the Transport Committee agenda’s (and that is only due to the Auckland Transport monthly report from its respective Board being added) it does stand at 200 odd pages long and has five heavy items in there. They being:

  1. Unitary Plan Update
  2. Port Zone decision
  3. Lot 59 (The Manukau Bus Interchange opposite the MIT being built in Manukau)
  4. Mill Road/Redoubt Road Corridor
  5. Iwi Management Plan

 

You can see the main agenda and the addendum agenda below

 

The Main Agenda

 

The Addendum Agenda including the Unitary Plan and Port of Auckland

 

Of course I will be in attendance at that Committee meeting and Tweeting live as the updates and moves occur. Also an update on the Congestion Free Network should also arrive on Tuesday (the 13th as well).

 

As I said in the beginning, it will be a long and contentious day as the heavy stuff progresses through.