Campbell Live following Metro Magazine and Radio NZ in Decent Auckland Planning Reporting

 

It was flagged in advance last week on Twitter last night’s Auckland planning piece on Campbell Live. And so the piece or rather three pieces showed on Campbell Live last night to positive acclaim by progressive Aucklanders and the Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

The three individual segments were:

• Should Auckland follow in New York’s footsteps?
• Bold new ideas from Seattle for modern living
• Aucklanders’ wish list for creating a better city

Earlier last week there was an Auckland Conversations presentation (that I had to pass over) by Janette Sadik-Khan on how Auckland could use ideas from New York City to turn Auckland into a more pro-people rather than a auto-centric city.

Update: Below is the 30 minute interview with Janette Sadik-khan on her time in New York City with their transport and how their ideas could be translated to Auckland:

 

Having watch the Auckland Conversation piece on the net and the Campbell Live pieces yesterday I could feel mood swelling for wanting and building a 21st Century Auckland. However, I am cautious as well with the feeling we have a very high risk of stumbling at the first hurdle once out of the starting blocks. That stumbling at the first hurdle could either be from the wider Council itself (a watered down Unitary Plan for example) or the NIMBY’s not quite realising Auckland is a world City not some village in the south-west Pacific.

 

As for the Main Stream Media showing a more balanced view of Auckland planning such as that shown on Campbell Live last night, it has been a rather long time coming.

Metro Magazine, and Media3 (when it was showing) by Russell Brown as part of the Main Stream Media outlets have been pretty much on the ball with Auckland planning coverage since the first round of Unitary Plan feedback last year. Whether positive or a critique one could rely on these two MSM outlets to broadcast the news as Auckland works its way through getting its master planning manual sorted. TV’s One and Three were a bit absent until TV3 showed a concerted push with them through Campbell Live showcasing the Congestion Free Network earlier this year. The NBR I’ll give credit to as well with their coverage on Auckland Planning issues although the NBR is not as far-reaching as other MSM outlets. Stuff is there with the suburban reporters like former Papakura Courier journalist Dubby Henry being at public meetings and gauging the reactions to the Draft and Proposed Unitary Plans. Radio NZ with Todd Nial has been there since dot when the Unitary Plan was first released March 15 last year and I often find Todd next to myself and Bob Dey at the media table when Council committees meet. The Herald and our more conservative talk back shows are much to be desired in their Auckland Planning reporting with them often making the news rather than broadcasting the news. That said Duncan Garner is always an interesting one to watch of recent when he reports on what Auckland is up to.

 

The three individual pieces on Auckland’s planning by Campbell Live last night led to this Tweet by Deputy Mayor and Auckland Development Committee Chair (formerly the Auckland Plan Committee).

That Tweet led to an automatic reply from me (and further reply from the Deputy Mayor:

 

Essentially when the Unitary Plan was first released March 15 last year (when I was in Australia at the time) it was the bloggers and social media being at the forefront of the commentary and debate. Arguably I was the quickest off the blocks with this blog and my Twitter feed when the Unitary Plan first came out. Other social media outlets (both balanced, and shall we say tending more unhinged) took a little while longer to get off the blocks. I remember feeling a bit lonely covering the Unitary Plan debate in the beginning until the others came to the party. After that then some battles came along especially with one particular group from the North Shore.

But as the course drew on I became quite comfortable taking a leading edge in the commentary despite the limitation of resources others had at their disposal. In the end it was pointed out I was the most prolific Tweeter on the Unitary Plan last year.

 

Now as we work our way through mid 2014 and in preparation for the next round of submissions for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan the larger MSM outlets are finally giving more balanced reporting. As Penny Hulse did Tweet a shame they were not there in the beginning with the Unitary Plan. No matter the bloggers stepped up and we carried the can – in fact we still do 😉

That said good to see the Campbell Live pieces last night. I wonder if we can get John in to sit through one of the longer Auckland Development Committees when a more substantial item is on the agenda, say like QE-II Square 😉