Unitary Plan Rating Well

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Unitary Continues to Rate Well and Show Support

 

I have done a post on this somewhere when the figures were emailed to me but can’t seem to find them. However, there is this from Auckland Council:

Strongest Unitary Plan support for environment, design and heritage 

 

A public survey has revealed the strongest support (84%) for the Auckland Unitary Plan relates to its protection of the natural environment, including open spaces, the countryside and coastal areas.

 

After the environment, top priorities for Aucklanders in the Unitary Plan are better design in our buildings and places (80% support) and protecting our heritage and character areas (76% support).

 

Chief Planning Officer Dr Roger Blakeley says “We had an excellent response when we asked Aucklanders for their informal feedback on the March draft of the plan, with 21,000 people having their say. But these survey results help to give a broader picture of where Aucklanders as a whole – including those who didn’t give feedback – stand on the key elements that make up the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.

 

“This next phase of the plan is the formal submission phase, so I would really encourage Aucklanders to look at the plan online (www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/unitaryplan) or attend one of our open days to find out more,” he says.

 

The survey also revealed that more than 2.5 times more people support development in and around centres than don’t support it (see table below).

 

Key principles of the Unitary Plan

Support

Don’t support
Better design in our buildings and places

80%

4%
Creating a business-friendly city by providing more space for businesses to grow and bringing businesses closer together in more attractive and compact areas

63%

9%
Protecting the natural environment, including open spaces, the countryside and coastal areas

84%

3%
Protecting our heritage and character areas

76%

7%
Enhancing the rural economy and protecting productive rural land

69%

8%
Enabling more people to live in and around our town and local centres in a greater choice of homes, including terraced housing, apartments and family homes

51%

18%

 

 

The results are based on a survey of 500 Aucklanders, with a 4.4% margin of error. The sample size does not fully enable the results to be broken down by ethnic group, but it appears that Maori tend to feel most positively about Auckland’s growth: 73 per cent of Maori support more people living in and around town centres, with just 1% not supporting it.

 

At the same time, support for the vision to create the world’s most liveable city remains high, increasing to 82 per cent.

—Ends—

 

The point I have highlighted in bold is an interesting one. If this point on Maori support with the town centres can further substantiated then this serves a “note” to in particular the Manurewa Local Board (and also Papakura Local Board) who were purporting the opposite (and resulted in a major Terraced Housing and Apartment Zone immediately south of Manukau City Centre downgraded to Mixed Housing Suburban).

This means Manurewa Town Centre and the suburban corridor from that centre to Manukau (with the rail line and State Highway one as the West-East boundaries) can take Mixed Housing Urban and Terrace Housing/Apartments in Wiri and around the Manurewa Town Centre with relative ease. Just got to get the urban design parameters right – which the Auckland Design Manual is slowly doing.

 

Do not forget folks the Unitary Plan Open Days – the days still to go listed here: Reminder: Unitary Plan Open Days

A perfect opportunity to get both clued up on the actual Unitary Plan and enter a dialogue with the planners 🙂

 

Governing Body and Committee Terms of Reference and Meeting Schedules

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Terms of Reference

&

Schedule until year-end

 

 

This one is more the Local Governing “nuts” out there like myself and Transport Blog. 

 

The Governing Body Agenda embedded below contains the Terms of Reference for both the Governing Body and wider Committees/Forums. Also contained on page 55 is the schedules for the Governing Body and Committees on when they are due to meet until the end of the new (new schedule will be released for 2014).

The Terms of Reference essentially set out what the Governing Body, Committees and Forums can and can not do. This is essential folks if you wish to present to Council on something. For example and as Transport Blog would know, the Transport Committee is gone and replaced by the Physical Infrastructure Committee which is chaired by Councillor Mike Lee.

As an example this is what the Physical Infrastructure Committee does when it meets 6-weekly:

4.6. PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference (Delegations)

Parent committee: Urban and Rural Development Committee

Responsibilities

 

  • Overview and provide feedback on key infrastructure plans and projects relating to transport, water, wastewater and stormwater. 
  • Provide strategic direction to guide development of transport, water, wastewater and stormwater strategies. 
  • Consider views of Local Boards, public and stakeholders in relation to physical infrastructure. 

Make recommendations to the parent committee to ensure:

  • alignment with the growth of Auckland, the Unitary Plan and the outcomes sought in the Auckland Plan and Local Board Plans 
  • alignment of the Regional Land Transport Plan and Integrated Transport Plan with the council’s strategic direction 
  • alignment of water, wastewater and stormwater strategies with the council’s strategies and plans 
  • asset management plans for physical infrastructure support the Unitary Plan and other relevant council plans and policies 
  • council input to legislative changes, central government policies and plans and key infrastructure projects 

Powers
All powers necessary to perform the Committee’s responsibilities.
Except:
(a) powers that the Governing Body cannot delegate or has retained to itself (section 2)
(b) where the Committee’s responsibility is limited to making a recommendation only
Membership
Chairperson: Cr Mike Lee
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Chris Darby

Members: 

IMSB appointees (s 85 (1)):

—————-

Schedule of GB and Committees

The schedule is on page 55 but, for your easy reference here is a copy below:

Schedule of meetings for November and December 2013

The venue for all meetings is the Auckland Town Hall

Date Time Meeting

  • 21 November 9.30 am Long Term Plan Committee
  • 26 November 8.30 am Tenders and Procurement Committee
  • 26 November 10.00 am Hearings Committee 
  • 26 November 1.00 pm Unitary Plan Committee 
  • 28 November 9.30 am Urban and Rural Development Committee
  • 3 December 9.30 am Regulatory and Bylaws Committee
  • 3 December 1.00 pm CCO Governance and Monitoring Committee 
  • 4 December 9.30 am Arts, Culture and Events Committee
  • 4 December 1.00 pm Physical Infrastructure Committee
  • 5 December 9.30 am Regional Strategy and Policy Committee
  • 10 December 8.30 am Tenders and Procurement Committee
  • 10 December 10.00 am Hearings Committee
  • 10 December 1.00 pm Unitary Plan Committee
  • 11 December 9.30 am Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee
  • 11 December 1.00 pm Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee
  • 11 December 9.30 am Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee
  • 11 December 1.00 pm Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee
  • 12 December 9.30 am Finance and Organisational Performance Committee
  • 17 December 9.30 am Audit and Risk Committee
  • 18 December 9.30 am Economy – Rural and Urban Committee
  • 18 December 1.00 pm Community Development, Safety and Social Infrastructure Committee 
  • 19 December 10.00 am Governing Body
  • 12 December 9.30 am Finance and Organisational Performance Committee
  • 17 December 9.30 am Audit and Risk Committee
  • 19 December 10.00 am Governing Body

I have highlighted the Urban and Rural Development Committee in red as a reminder to me to try and get speaking rights for a presentation on that particular committee.

 

If you want to get “involved” Council rocking up to these meetings whether just to observe or like me participating actively is a good way to start 😀 – Just need a pile of patience some days, that’s all 😉

 

Local Government poster png mode

 

Terms of Reference and Meetings Schedule