Category: Urban Planning and Design

Looking at Urban Planning and Design

Colin Maiden Park to come under Public Ownership

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Colin Maiden Park transferred from Private to Public Ownership

 

Good news after a long campaign to have Colin Maiden Park in Tamaki converted over from private ownership (University of Auckland) to public ownership (Auckland Council).

From Auckland Council on the transfer:

Colin Maiden Park to stay in public ownership

 

Auckland Council has added Colin Maiden Park in St Johns to its parks network, ensuring this open space and sports field complex remains in public ownership and available to the people of Auckland forever.

The unconditional agreement with the University of Auckland means that the 20 hectare park will be taken over by council early next year, which allows the university to focus on plans for its new developments in the city centre and Newmarket. The park is being acquired for $60.7m.

Mayor Len Brown says this is one of the most significant urban park acquisitions in Auckland’s history and council’s decision to acquire the park will ensure that Aucklanders have access to this asset forever.

“We have acquired Colin Maiden Park for the people who use and enjoy it every day of the week, whether they are from Glen Innes, Glen Eden or Glenfield. We can all be proud that the last major piece of private open space on the isthmus has been retained for the people of Auckland,” he says.

 

The Chair of council’s Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee, Councillor Christine Fletcher, reflected on the significance of this decision to the community.

“Together with the netball centre and Ngahue Reserve, this decision creates an incredible 44 hectare sports and open space complex for Auckland. This rivals Western Springs or the Domain for scale and significance,” says Cr Fletcher.

Orakei Local Board Chair Desley Simpson expressed great pleasure and relief at the decision.

“We have honoured the opinions expressed by so many Orakei residents – the future of the park was the one of the most submitted-on issues in the draft Unitary Plan.

“Our community was particularly concerned that the park might become intensive housing. It is now guaranteed to remain as public open space and available to everybody,” says Ms Simpson.

 

The park will transfer to the council’s local and sports parks portfolio on 1 February 2014.

This acquisition was an unbudgeted item which has been factored into the draft Annual Plan 2014/15. Council has also agreed to explore the sale of three parcels of council-owned land around Colin Maiden Park, to assist with the cost of acquiring the park.

Sale of land will follow the relevant public consultation processes in the Reserves Act and the Local Government Act. If any land is sold, any existing uses and activities on that land will be provided for on Colin Maiden Park or in the same general area.

In the coming months, council will work with all current users of the park to discuss their existing arrangements and look at how we continue to work together. Long term management of the park will also be addressed through council and the local board’s planning processes.

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I believe congratulations are in order for Orakei Local Board Chairwoman Desley Simpson as the public figurehead that spearheaded the campaign to have Colin Maiden Park transferred to public ownership – securing its place as Open Space on the isthmus. Well done Delsey and co for a job well done 🙂

 

Now just to get the bureaucratic proceedings out-of-the-way and Auckland has a very large park secured for its future.

 

Council Looking at Business Friendly City

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Council Urges Businesses to Submit on Unitary Plan

 

From Auckland Council on shaping a business friendly Auckland:

Business urged to submit on plans for ‘Shaping a business-friendly city’

 

A new guide on what the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan does to support longer-term economic growth has been released to help businesses understand and submit on the rules that will affect them the most. 

The guide, titled ‘Shaping a business-friendly city’, identifies strong centres, new business land and better transport links as essential for Auckland’s growth.

 

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says it is important businesses have their say on the proposed plan. 

“This document summarises the key aspects relevant to businesses. That includes enabling business clustering, and the innovation that comes with it, safeguarding existing business land and securing new land for business growth.  It also looks at how more compact and high-quality centres across Auckland will help to create public transport and infrastructure investment more viable, make businesses more accessible to staff and customers and help create a city where skilled young people choose to live and work ahead of competitor cities overseas,” she says.

 

Economic growth is a major part of Auckland’s vision to become the world’s most liveable city. The Unitary Plan, as the rulebook that will shape how Auckland grows, has an important role to play in enabling that growth. 

The plan proposes more consistent planning rules across Auckland, providing businesses and developers with greater certainty as well as smarter digital tools that are faster to use. 

The report also highlights the range of ways that creating a more compact, vibrant, efficient and attractive Auckland can enable economic growth, such as:

 

  • –       Productivity and innovation driven by clustering and agglomeration
  • –       A place where talented young people choose to stay, live and work
  • –       Hubs that make public transport and other infrastructure investment more viable
  • –       Coordinated infrastructure investment to support areas of growth
  • –       Safeguarding environment and heritage as part of Auckland’s point of difference in the world
  • –       Safeguarding existing business land and opening up new areas
  • –       Businesses closer or more accessible to their customers and employees
  • –       Transport links that help supply chain efficiency
  • –       Centres and business areas that attract new and continued investment

 

Submissions on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan are open until 28 February 2014. The council is urging businesses to have their say on the parts of the plan they support as well as those they want to change.

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Some reference material

SHAPING A BUSINESS-FRIENDLY AUCKLAND – Council Blog Post

 

The Diagram from that blog post:

BC3080-A vibrant, efficient and attractive Auckland

 

The Shaping a business-friendly city pdf file

 

More on this tomorrow