Tag: Auckland Council

From Yesterday’s Workshop

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Sorry Folks Have Not Got Much Here

 

Yesterday in my “The Next Steps for the Unitary Plan – Those Workshops” post I made mention that the Auckland Plan Committee and Local Board Chairs held their first workshop. The workshop was on “the principles of development” around our centres – in particular height (which is not being codified as a theme against from our feedback).

In the same post I also made mention that at the end of each workshop a public statement will be released for our consumption. Despite a small glitch from the Council I have that statement which reads the following:

Heights discussed at first Unitary Plan workshop
Today elected members of Auckland Council attended the first post-engagement workshop following feedback on the draft Unitary Plan.
 
Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse said the workshop brought together Local Board Chairs and the Auckland Plan Committee members to talk through the principles governing heights in centres and give interim direction on how changes will be made to the draft plan.
 
“The political direction that came out of today’s workshop is that, while we all agree we need a range of heights across our centres, we would like to see greater refinement to allow for variety within a centre where it is appropriate.”
 
The direction-setting workshops, which will be held over June and July, reflect the main topics in the 22,700 pieces of feedback Aucklanders gave over 11 weeks of engagement.
 
“We have started with centre heights as our first topic, as they set the framework for the level of development in other parts of Auckland. 
 
“Proposed height limits for Auckland’s metropolitan, town and local centres have been widely debated, with clear argument coming through from each side of the debate. Our challenge for heights is to get the balance right and I believe we can do that,” said the Deputy Mayor.
 
Work will now start to refine the principles relating to height in centres as directed. These will then be presented for discussion at the next Auckland Plan Committee.
 
For further details on the feedback and the next steps in the Unitary Plan process, please see the Shape Auckland site.

 

Sorry folks that is all we have right now. Unless a Councillor or Local Board Chair would like to make a further statement this is all we (the city) have to go with for now. And I am going to assume it will be like this until the July 2 Auckland Plan Committee where all the workings of the workshops reach the committee and are discussed in the “open.”

In saying that I will go and ask about the situation that arose to this comment yesterday:

  • Oddly, height (which doesn’t need speech marks because you know what it means) is not a theme submissions are being coded against….

Follow up to that bullet point and my Part Three post will come up later today.

 

 

Unitary Plan Feedback

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Series Covering the pre notification round

 

I am making my way back from the Media Briefing on where we are with the Unitary Plan by the two Penny’s. Once back at base I will start writing up will become a series on the Unitary Plan prior to formal notification.

In brief though this is what was mentioned:

  • 22,700 pieces of Feedback
    • 6,500 of that was pro-forma by 35 different groups (so around a third of all pieces of feedback)
  • Council is still codifying the issues and responses. We won’t specifically know “topics” until the end of next week
  • Hot Topic Issues were though: height (which starts being looked at tomorrow) and zones (they are up for changes – both residential, business and the centres)
  • Three “reference”groups to be established: Universal Design, Heritage, and Significant Ecological Areas
  • Extensive work with Local Boards
  • Formal Notification date will be set most likely in August
  • Council admits its communication arm needs quite a bit of work (especially if blogs were taking up the slack quite a bit)

So as I said, I will get the first full post up hopefully by 6:30 tonight. After that a series will start on this pre-notification period in keeping YOU – the City up to date. It also means I have to revisit my company business model a bit – especially if a “media” arm is spun off here.

Unitary Plan and that Twitter Spam

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Not bad for an individual

And for Auckland – Our Auckland

 

While my main internet is down and I have let rip back to Telecom for taking 6 days to restore my internet (even though it is Chorus which probably deserves something placed under their backside) I have hooked up my 2-Degree Mobile to the main PC. Okay the connection is slow but it is working (and thanks to 2-Degrees for carry-over data. All that spare data will be going to use) 😀

 

This major pain for me in not having my main internet does show the reliance on the Digital Age. But what the Digital Age does show is that some of us will use it to its full and utter potential.

This morning I got mentioned in the Council/Local Body Chairs’ workshop on the Feedback for the Unitary Plan (that closed May 31) that I was the top Tweeter on the #shapeauckland (shapeauckland.co.nz) feed amongst other things. Apparently I dropped 250+ Tweets over the 11-week feedback period. 

So what was the numbers of that feedback for the UP:

  • 22,700 pieces of feedback (both individual and Pro-Forma)
  • 2,000 News items (1,150 on the internet)
  • 6,500 Social Media pieces from Facebook, Twitter and blogs to which I provided the following:
    • 250+ Tweets
    • 104 blog posts
    • 208 combined Facebook posts via the Blog
    • 100 individual stand along Facebook posts not connected to the blog
    • 10% of all Social Media “feeds” and “posts

Not particularly bad for me running this all on my own from Talking Auckland.

While things have calmed down for now with Unitary Plan posts, it will ramp up again most likely when the UP goes for formal notification. And that notification is a three-year period :O

But hey, Civic and Professional Duty here in traversing both sides of the spectrum and being your Number One leading and independent Unitary Plan commentator 😀

Job well done (okay patting myself on the back here)

 

TALKING AUCKLAND

Talking Auckland: Blog of TotaRim Consultancy Limited

TotaRim Consultancy
Bringing Well Managed Progress to Auckland and The Unitary Plan

Auckland: 2013 – YOUR CITY, YOUR CALL

 

Rethink the Housing Accord says Auckland 2040

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Rethink or NIMBY‘s Striking Again?

 

Auckland 2040 released a press statement on Monday about the Housing Accord. This will be due to that Auckland Council is giving their submission to the Accord today after deliberations yesterday at the Auckland Plan Committee that I sat in and observed.

This is the press release from Auckland 2040

Rethink the Housing Accord says Auckland 2040

Monday, 10 June, 2013 – 11:41

Auckland 2040 says linking the Auckland Housing Accord to the notification of the draft Unitary Plan (DUP) will put pressure on the Council to ‘fast track’ the plan ignoring around 14,000 submissions.

The coalition has written to Housing Minister Nick Smith requesting that he reconsider tying the Accord to the DUP notification and providing an alternative solution. It’s concerned that Aucklanders have just had their first look at the DUP, invested considerable time in preparing submissions and that the planners won’t have the time to read, consider or adopt the suggestions.

Auckland 2040 spokesperson and planner Richard Burton says there are serious shortcomings in the DUP and it’s important that the Council is not forced to notify the Plan before it is ready.

“We do not believe that Auckland Council has the time or the resources to consider the large number of submissions received, to rethink the Unitary Plan and rectify the problems by the target notification date of 1 September. Much more time is needed to prepare a quality Plan.

“There’s also an easy solution that will take the pressure off the planners and make sure Aucklanders have not wasted their time making submissions. We suggest Council identify Special Housing Areas (SHAs) and then prepare Structure Plans. These will also ensure better quality housing,” said Richard.

The current Auckland Housing Accord makes no mention of requiring Structure Plans for SHAs which Auckland 2040 argues is a serious omission. It says that structure plans will avoid haphazard unplanned development by matching the level of development intensity to infrastructure capacity, including roads, waste water and other services. It would also integrate residential development with reserves, community facilities and schools. Community consultation is another component of a Structure Plan and would allow greater consideration of the interface between SHA’s and adjoining communities. Qualifying SHA Developments would then have to comply with the Structure Plan.

“Requiring Structure Plans in the Accord legislation doesn’t need to be overly time-consuming. Auckland Council could quickly identify a number of SHAs and then commence planning. The other advantage of this approach is that neighbours and affected parties will have a say in the process. Without meaningful consultation and a right of appeal, the potential for abuse is high,” says Richard.

Auckland 2040 is a coalition of local non-political groups passionately concerned about the long- term implications of the draft Unitary Plan (DUP). It wants Auckland Council to ‘ReThink’ the Plan in order to balance intensification with infrastructure capability and urban character values. The group opposes random high density multi-story apartments haphazardly scattered throughout Auckland, poor planning and provision for infrastructure, and inadequate community involvement in the Plan. For more information go to http://auckland2040.org.nz/.

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All seems good doesn’t it? On paper it does look good what Auckland 2040 is suggesting with Special Housing Areas and these Structure Plans. These Structure Plans could end up similar to my proposed Semi-Liberal Planned Districts for greenfield areas and Centralised Master Community Plans for brownfield areas.

However, there is a catch. My SLPD and CMCP’s take effect when the Unitary Plan is in operation. Meaning it has been thrashed out and the Rural Urban Boundary options firmed up after research and further consultation.

Auckland 2040’s idea would take effect once the Accord was in operation which would not bother me per say. But, in knowing Auckland 2040 they would clam up in any Brownfield Special Housing Areas being put forward (especially on the Isthmus and North Shore) and dump the entire lot in the Greenfield areas out in the south.

In Auckland 2040 would like to suggest a Brownfield area on the Isthmus and North Shore that would have significant development then let me know in the comments box your location choice below. Otherwise your subsequent silence would imply pro-sprawl behaviour down here in the south. Of which I believe the NIMBY term applies.

 

What is wrong with lugging significant developments in the greenfield areas now? We of the south are still going through the Rural Urban Boundary processes at the moment. Currently in the Unitary Plan feedback process that closed last month we got to choose one of three options we would think best for Greenfield development under the UP. Council is now considering this and hopefully are doing capacity and infrastructure studies on the options. Once done it is meant to be reported back and a more informed selection can be made by us in the formal notification stage at the end of the year.

What Auckland 2040 are doing is effectively short circuiting the RUB process away from Southern Auckland. It can also be implied through some of the NIMBY aspects of Auckland 2040 that they would want the bulk of the SHA’s in the greenfield zones.

I’d rather have the RUB processes done fully and properly first. As I have mentioned before if the wrong section of land is opened up down here in the South the unintended consequences are large. That being the Karaka-Weymouth Bridge which has upset a lot of people here.

 

So what do we do now?

Sit and wait for the council to finish the southern RUB work. Lets see how many houses we can get, what infrastructure is needed and at what cost, and what employment centre bases will also be needed as well. Suggesting SHA’s down here now would be beyond pointless when we and the area are simply not ready.

The RUB Addendum 1/2

The RUB Addendum 2/2

 

Unitary Plan Coverage Running Hot Again

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Feedback Closed yet the Commentary runs Hot

 

There must be a report due out (which there is) in regards to the Unitary Plan looking at five (now six) different Chrome tabs I have open at the moment in regards to media coverage. The MSM coverage is pretty wide-ranging from support of the UP to some impending changes towards The Clunker as well. Some of the more “interesting” pieces I will look at an individual level later on today and tomorrow.

But first some links into the chatter today around the draft Unitary Plan:

There is also a segment from Morning Report on how kiwi’s might be needing to let go of the 1/4 acre dream as well and be more pragmatic as Auckland grows

Quite the reading for your start of the week…