RMA Reforms to Get Under-way – In Earnest

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Reforms to tackle housing affordability?

 

From the Minister for the Environment – Dr Nick Smith

Reform of RMA critical to reforming housing affordability

The Resource Management Act needs to explicitly recognise the importance of New Zealanders’ access to more affordable housing if the downward trend in home ownership over the past 20 years is to be reversed, Building and Housing, and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today at the Property Council New Zealand’s Residential Development Summit in Auckland.

“The Resource Management Act must safeguard our natural environment but it is also a crucial piece of planning legislation. It forms the basis for the decisions that determine what we can do on our land. So it’s important we have a system that balances environmental protection with the wider needs of New Zealanders. We need a system which ensures that important environmental standards are maintained, but that which also enables growth and development – including a strong housing supply,” Dr Smith says.

“It is the price of land and sections that has gone up so rapidly in unaffordable housing markets like Auckland, and it is the Resource Management Act and how it is implemented that is largely responsible for this cost escalation. The new law allowing Special Housing Areas is a short-term fix but we must address the fundamental problem with the Resource Management Act if we are serious about long-term housing affordability.

“The vast bulk of consent processes under the Resource Management Act are about urban development, yet they barely rate a mention in the purposes and principles of the Act. This is why the Government is determined to make changes. We need to get everybody working in the resource management area from a policy, planning and consent perspective to understand how their decisions impact on young Kiwi families who aspire to own their own home.

“I welcome the challenge working as Building and Housing, and Environment Minister. No one Minister has previously been responsible for the full regulatory framework affecting housing, from subdivisions, building consenting to occupational regulation. This presents the opportunity to streamline how we develop new housing so as to increase housing supply and affordability.”

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Source: http://beehive.govt.nz/release/reform-rma-critical-reforming-housing-affordability#.VD2xNLdkiz0.twitter

 

It will be interesting to see what comes about when the draft reforms list is finally released – most likely by Christmas if the Government is going full speed on this.

Still I wonder if we would have been better served if we had a Planning Minister: Queensland Gets It Right, Auckland Continues to Dither and Get it Wrong

Also the old issue of property rights is bound to crop as well: Property Rights and the Unitary Plan

 

So lets see what the reforms do truly give us….

 

Developments from the Unitary Plan Hearings

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Contention around access to resources for Community Groups

 

I have seen this from Local Board Chair Peter Haynes in regards to a motion Councillor Cathy Casey put forward at the Unitary Plan Committee today:

Peter Haynes‘s status.
6 minutes ago
At the open meeting of the Council’s Unitary Plan Committee. Cathy Casey moved for a report to prolong the hearings process to assist community groups faced with a very unequal battle against major developers such as Eden Park. I urged the Governing Body to give serious consideration to resourcing certain community groups to engage expert witnesses. My colleague from Orakei, Desley Simpson also spoke about the difficulties the convoluted hearings process pose for such groups. Sadly, Cathy’s motion was lost on Alf Filipaina’s casting vote.

I have noted from a couple of Procedural Minutes from the Independent Hearing Panel for the Unitary Plan as well as the Committee Agenda (see: website down so will get the link when it is back up) that the Council nor the Hearings Panel are particular interested in making resources available to submitting groups so that they can front the Hearings Panel better equipped. Furthermore the Minister for the Environment has refused access to those resources as well.

 

It definitely seems so after my previous Unitary Plan Hearings Already Into Trouble? first pointed it out.

 

You’re cheating at farnarkling!

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In short?
Get it together Labour or allow someone else to do so

shakingstick's avatarCrankville

Jesus. The Labour Party made me start a damn blog.

Loads of people who I respect, and who are smarter than me, are arguing like mad on twitter today about the Labour Party and what ails it. ‘Blog Commenters’, apparently. At least for today.

These are smarter people than me and I really do respect them; but nope.

The comments on The Standard and at The Daily Blog do suck in many respects. But they are not the problem with the Labour Party. They would also suck if the party was doing well, but they would probably suck in different ways. They’d be railing against National for 90% of the time instead of about 60%.

The Party is in a sorry state. Everyone knows this. So of course the comments at the Standard are going to reflect that. The idea that if those damn guys would just shut the hell…

View original post 306 more words

Council Reaction to Dam Water Supply Issues

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Review under way

 

From Auckland Council

Water supply safe, reporting process under review

 

Watercare’s decision to close two water supply lakes in the Hunua Ranges in May 2014 after traces of herbicide (metsulfuron-methyl) were detected has been the subject of media reports this morning.

Auckland Council CE Stephen Town is confident public safety was never at risk but is reviewing the reporting procedures around potential drinking water contamination.

“I am confident that proper safety procedures were in place and were followed by the parties concerned.

“Watercare took all steps required to ensure that neither water quality nor water supply were put at risk.

“There remains a concern about who should have been informed of these events and when, and whether this should have been made public at the time.

“I will therefore undertake a review of council’s reporting procedures.

“Our organisation must be as open and transparent as possible – and that includes matters within the wider Auckland Council family that are in the public interest,” he says.

—-ends—-

 

And still my water when it comes in from the Waikato smells like a swimming pool…

 

AMETI Part One – Walking/Cycling Day

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Your Chance to Walk AMETI Part One before it opens

 

From Voxy

Walk or cycle Auckland’s new road and tunnel at Panmure

Monday, 13 October, 2014 – 10:51

Auckland’s newest road is expected to take thousands of trucks a day off Panmure roads when it opens to traffic in early November.

Auckland Transport will open the 1.5km Te Horeta Rd in Panmure to traffic on Sunday 2 November. The road goes through a 220m tunnel, has new cycle lanes and a shared cycle and foot path alongside, which will all open at the same time.

A community event will be held on Saturday 1 November so people in the area can walk or cycle through the tunnel, along the road and on the shared path.

Completing the new road is the final major milestone for the $180m first stage of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI). It also included building the new Panmure Station, three new bridges and new cycling and walking links.

AMETI is a group of projects aimed at giving people in the south-eastern suburbs improved transport choices and better connections to the rest of Auckland. See an aerial video and photos of the new road, station and other upgrades here: at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/ameti/.

Auckland Transport Chairman, Dr Lester Levy says completing the first stage of AMETI will be an important milestone for transport improvements in the area.

“People in the area are beginning to realise the benefits of the longer term programme of improvements for the south east. It is also one of the first major transport infrastructure projects to be completed by Auckland Transport since the new Auckland Council was established.”

AMETI Programme Director, Peter King says the new road is expected to carry 20,000 vehicles a day, including 2400 trucks.

“Te Horeta Road will link Morrin Rd to Mt Wellington Highway to cut peak journey times between Mt Wellington and Glen Innes.The direct link will bypass the Panmure roundabout and Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, easing congestion on this route.

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Full details, article and source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/walk-or-cycle-aucklands-new-road-and-tunnel-panmure/5/204559

 

Now to get Part Two under-way. The Busway from Panmure Station to Pakuranga Town Centre. Parts Three and beyond would be extending that bus way to Botany and Manukau City Centre forming the South Eastern Bus-way. In due time it can be converted to rail to form the Botany Line (The Botany Line Sky Train)

The Botany Line Sky Train Route
The Botany Line Sky Train Route