Two new Special Housing Areas announced in Southern Auckland While we know Auckland needs to get a move on with housing placing Special Housing Areas in the middle of no … Continue reading Brown and Smith Special: A Special Housing Area in the Middle of No Where
From the Office of the Mayor
Mayor Len Brown calls the granting of resource consent for SkyPath – a cycling and walking path adjacent to the citybound clip-on lanes of the Auckland Harbour Bridge – “a real game changer for Auckland.”
“This exciting project is another part of the physical uniting of Auckland, building on the cycleways we have recently built such as at Grafton Gully and the Westhaven promenade.
“Besides being of enormous benefit to cyclists, it’s a fabulous opportunity for Aucklanders and visitors to the city to walk across and have great views of our spectacular harbour.
“It illustrates how our roads are no longer just about trucks and cars but also for the use of cyclists and pedestrians.”
Len Brown says the next step to enable the project to proceed will be a report to be completed by Council staff on the proposed commercial arrangements and recommendations on how to proceed from here.
There is a 15 working day appeal period.
The Independent Planning Commissioners, in their decision, acknowledge that SkyPath is a “critical transport link and a positive gain for Auckland’s transportation network.
They say that “the proposal will help promote alternative transportation modes and active lifestyles and improve recreational options for Aucklanders and visitors to the region.”
It says the proposal is consistent with the RMA including having positive economic impacts.
The application received 11,586 submissions with 11,413 in support, five neutral and 168 in opposition.
The commissioners say they believe issues raised by residents at either end of the bridge can be adequately mitigated.
“The traffic and parking effects associated with parties who chose to drive to SkyPath will be adequately mitigated through provision, implementation, and review and monitoring of the operational plan,” the decision reads.
It says adverse amenity effects at the northern end can be mitigated through design and site management as proposed by the applicant. Those effects are primarily associated with increased activity, privacy, noise and perceptions relating to safety and security.
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What do I face, and who to vote out The Long Term Plan passed its final hurdle on a 10-9 vote yesterday at the Governing Body of Auckland Council … Continue reading My Reaction to the Long Term Plan Passing Yesterday #AKLPols UPDATE with Council Info
Close call but 2015-2025 Budget Passes A fter five hours of debate (well rehashing stuff while being stuck on a Merry-Go-Round for the most part) the Long Term Budget 2015-2025 … Continue reading Long Term Plan Passes 10-9 + Initial Reaction – UPDATED
Rates also to be struck (meaning new Rates Bill in August) The Governing Body of Auckland Council is to meet tomorrow to endorse the Long Term Plan. Meaning when it … Continue reading Governing Body to Endorse Long Term Plan #Auckland2016
Equal Treatment Applies I have a warning to the Councillors and the Mayor of Auckland Council in light of the Port of Auckland saga coming to a head last week … Continue reading Be Warned Auckland Council Governing Body
From Auckland Council:
The valuable connections made in Los Angeles by the Mayoral-led business delegation this month will boost Auckland’s economy with investment and job creation for years to come.
Mayor Len Brown says that all the business delegates report they got immense value from the summit. Some are now ready or close to being ready to expand overseas to Los Angeles and Guangzhou.
Representatives from 43 Auckland businesses took part in the inaugural Tripartite Economic Alliance Summit in Los Angeles. This follows the signing in November 2014 of the historic alliance, designed to boost economic co-operation between Auckland, Guangzhou and Los Angeles.
Len Brown and councillors Bill Cashmore and Denise Krum led the delegation. Auckland Council organised it with the support of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), NZTE and MFAT.
Len Brown says “The summit greatly increased our trade and economic relations, has created exciting export opportunities for the participating businesses and enabled us to share knowledge in crucial areas like transport.”
Len Brown says some of the immediate success stories include:
All 45 business delegates paid their own way. IQ Commercial (www.iqcommercial.co.nz) is so confident of deals that will result, it expects its sales to North America to grow by at least 20% in the coming year. The increase to their profit alone will likely result in additional annual tax that would easily surpass the costs incurred by Auckland Council to arrange this delegation.
Len Brown says businesses feel that they now have an excellent understanding of how to do business in Los Angeles.
“It has made them think critically about what they could do differently to be even more successful in Auckland and overseas markets.”
During the summit, Auckland’s Mayor held meetings with his Los Angeles and Guangzhou counterparts. They signed a memorandum of understanding between their cities’ ports that will result in greater sharing of best practice and logistics information.
They will begin a formal work plan shortly on a strong collaborative focus over the next couple of years on three broad areas- ports, air routes and tourism and the high- tech sector.
“We will also be pursuing a formal relationship between GridAKL (gridakl.co.nz ) and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (laincubator.org) , which provides a launching pad programme for international companies in to the LA market.
“The trip underlines how Auckland is fast becoming the innovation hub of Asia-Pacific and is a truly global city.
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A lot can be said whether the trip to LA was of value to Auckland or whether we need to grasp the basics first like planning and transport before such overseas ventures. The type of walking before running stuff.
Draft Report Out – Will Comment Tomorrow From the Office of the Mayor Len Brown Report hits the mark on housing Mayor Len Brown has welcomed the release of the … Continue reading Mayor Welcomes Release of the Productivity Commission’s “Using Land for Housing Draft Report”
From The Office of the Mayor Len Brown
Mayor Len Brown and Councillors Bill Cashmore and Denise Krum are to lead a delegation representing 43 Auckland businesses taking part in the inaugural Tripartite Economic Alliance Summit in Los Angeles.
The summit next week will give the delegates the opportunity to explore business and investment opportunities with contacts from Los Angeles and Guangzhou, with the aim of bringing greater investment to Auckland.
“Auckland is New Zealand’s only global city and we are fast becoming a significant innovation hub in the Asia-Pacific region. The summit gives us the chance to build our trade and economic relations; to create exciting export opportunities for the participating businesses: and share knowledge in the crucial areas of transport and housing.”
The delegation will include Auckland businesses from the sectors of education, innovation such as ICT, clean/green technologies, transportation and screen/creative.
The contribution to the Auckland economy in terms of GDP of these sectors is $10.8 billion (in 2010 dollars); accounting for 17 per cent of the total Auckland economy, and 36 per cent of Auckland’s employment (in 2013).
“The connections we will make on this trip in turn will lead to job creation and help grow our economy,” Mayor Brown adds.
ATEED Chief Executive Brett O’Riley says Auckland’s economic growth agency will implement a three-year business and investment attraction strategy to seize opportunities delivered by the Tripartite.
“It is not about a summit once a year. We aim to deliver long-term outcomes from an ongoing business programme. The 2013 America’s Cup regatta was the catalyst for an expanded emphasis on California for Auckland’s world-class emerging tech and screen and digital companies,” Mr O’Riley says.
The summit follows the signing in November 2014 of the historic Tripartite Economic Alliance, designed to boost economic co-operation between the three cities.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown says Guangzhou and Los Angeles are Auckland’s most well-established and economically important sister cities.
Prior to the summit, the Mayor will be attending a World Cities Summit mayoral forum in New York.
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Also
Auckland’s architecture and landscape architecture bodies are delighted to support Mayor Len Brown’s
promotion of a ‘Design Led City’ at the upcoming Tripartite Economic Alliance Summit in Los Angeles.
The summit, to be hosted by Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, will also be attended by the Mayor of
Guangzhou, as well as business leaders and companies from all three cities. The theme, Innovation –
Commercialism and Connectivity, will explore a range of subjects including renewable energy, transportation
and infrastructure, of which architects and landscape architects have a keen interest in promoting.
New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) president, Shannon Bray, says that ‘the meeting is a
chance to support Auckland Council in the promotion of design–‐led outcomes for the advancement of our city.
The NZILA supports Auckland’s widely shared vision to become the world’s most liveable city, and believes that
this can be achieved through high standards of urban spatial design and architecture.’
Mr Bray will be attending the summit as joint representative of both the NZILA and the New Zealand Institute
of Architects, and sees this coming together of the professions as an important collaboration. ‘It is important
that as design professionals we work together with Auckland Council to find innovative and creative solutions
to the city’s transportation and infrastructure needs’.
The recent entering of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is an important step in the recognition of the exciting
work undertaken to date, including the development of vibrant public spaces such as the Wynyard Quarter,
shared spaced streets such as Elliot Street, and the advancement of Auckland transport initiatives such as train
electrification.
Mr Bray says that the collaborative involvement of members of both the architecture and landscape
architecture professions in the design of future Auckland projects, such as the City Rail Link, future Harbour
Crossing and public open spaces is crucial to the enhancement of the city. ‘Together we can create a city that is
both enjoyable to live in and functional to travel across’.
‘The tripartite initiative is a catalyst for the promotion of high quality design’ says Mr Bray. ‘We look forward
to being involved in the sharing of information with our sister cities, as well as developing stronger
relationships with our worldwide colleagues facing similar design considerations. Auckland, and New Zealand,
should be proud of the quality of our urban environments.’
The tripartite summit is being held in Los Angeles 10th – 12th June, and will be attended by a range of Auckland
Council, Government and private company representatives.
Further information on the summit can be found at http://laedc.org/ts/, on the New Zealand Institute of
Landscape Architects at www.nzila
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Chair announced, groups to be formed From the Office of the Mayor Len Brown Port working group chair announced Auckland Council today announced the appointment of Rick Boven as chair … Continue reading Port Future Study Consensus Working Group Chair Announced #AKLPols
Talking Southern Auckland 