Tag: Manukau

Resolutions to the Special Character Zone

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Work Underway on the SCZ

 

While considerations and deliberations over Manukau are underway, another piece of work that I undertook with the Unitary Plan is also being worked on. Last month I gave a presentation to the Orakei Local Board in regards to concerns by St Heliers over Unitary Plan development in their area. Hence the Special Character Zone was born, and the Centralised Master Community Plan brought back out of the cupboard.

Two resolutions were passed by the Local Board that night and the SCZ work strengthened before it is taken around the rest of Auckland. The resolutions were (and is on public record):

OR/2013/84 Unitary Plan Zoning Issues
FILE REF CP2013/08075
AGENDA ITEM NO. 9.4
 
MOVED by Member DEC Simpson, seconded Member M Thomas:
a)      That the Orakei Local Board thanks Benjamin Ross for his presentation and asks his permission to forward the presentation to key stakeholders to possibly consider when they make their submissions to the Unitary Plan.
b)      That the Orakei Local Board asks regional and local planning officers for comment on the feasibility of Mr Ross’ proposed Special Character Zones (SCZ) and Centralised Master Community Plans (CMCP).

 

The Abridged Version of the SCZ-CMCP Presentation can be found in the embed below:

 

So now I await the officer feedback on the proposals. This will be important before the concept is taken to the Albert-Eden Local Board as a potential solution to the Mt Eden Village situation that is still unfolding. In the mean time submission compiling and writing continues

 

BEN ROSS : AUCKLAND

BR:AKL: Bring Well Managed Progress

The Unitary Plan: Bringing Change

Auckland: 2013 – OUR CITY, OUR CALL

 

 

Manukau: The Second CBD of Auckland Presentation

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All Complete and Ready to Go

 

Finally my presentation to the Auckland Plan Committee (May 14) is ready to go. I have sent both the Powerpoint presentation and the 41 page supplementary booklet to Council to be attached with the Agenda (which at the moment is embedded below) and can be seen below.

 

The Powerpoint Presentation (9-slides) which I will be speaking from can be seen here:

 

The Supplementary Booklet (41 pages) for your in-depth reading can be found here:

 

 

The presentation will be summarising three points:

  1. Is Auckland a Megaopolis?
  2. Does Auckland in fact have Three Metropolitan Areas?
  3. Can Auckland support two (if not three) CBD’s?

 

Information used in the booklet will also go into my feedback for the Unitary Plan by May 31

I will also be attending the Generation Zero Unitary Plan forum event on Tuesday evening after the presentation to mix and mingle and discuss well – Unitary Plan

 

All go on Tuesday

 

BEN ROSS : AUCKLAND

BR:AKL: Bring Well Managed Progress

The Unitary Plan: Bringing Change

Auckland: 2013 – OUR CITY, OUR CALL

 

 

 

 

 

The Public Meeting Over The Mill Road Corridor

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Not So Sure on the Result

 

Last night the public meeting over the Redoubt Road/Mill Road was held at the Vodafone Events Centre where around 160 people showed up. My apologies in not attending that particular meeting last night as I was home on both family time and completing my Manukau CBD presentation. Just noting a sense of what could be irony; while I am not a big fan of the corridor up Redoubt Road and down part of Mill Road (basically to the Alfriston Road intersection), if Manukau is going to be brought up as a CBD and the existing industry expands in the area we will need to be looking at some serious transport options rather quick.

Any how so the meeting went ahead last night although from what I can fathom no one from Auckland Transport nor the Council’s Transport Committee was present.Councillors Calum Penrose and Sir John Walker as the Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillors were present though. I also note that Green MP Julie Ann Genter was present however as well as Forest and Bird? Enough for me to raise an eye brow at this point in time as I wonder what alternatives this group would propose (apart from the Takanini Interchange upgrade allowing the 6-lane-ing of State Highway One) when Manukau takes off again and the Rural Urban Boundary has a very good chance moving East to Mill Road in the next 30-years.

 

I have written two particular posts on the Mill Road Corridor so far (along with the AT Plans attached). Yes I am meaning to write-up an alternative but, will not do so until my submission to the Unitary Plan is in at the end of the month:

 

The Herald also wrote a piece on last night’s public meeting as well: “324 properties in road’s path”

I did particularly note from that Herald article a quip about the Eastern Highway being defeated. Umm no it has not. The designation is still there and part of it is being built as a legacy project that we know as AMETI. At the same time there is nothing stopping NZTA from taking the reigns and building the Highway project, something that I would not put pass them with the current Government in power. In any case the failure of that highway being built along with the Botany Line which was to come with it is already costing the city as it is most days of the week in bottle-necking and economic inefficiencies. So I would be very careful in making analogies to the Eastern Highway (and Botany Line) in regards to other projects in the pipeline.

 

If anyone that did go last night would like to drop a guest commentary on the public meeting, drop me a line either in the comment box or via email and I’ll see what I can arrange.

 

In the mean time, we continue to wait on Auckland Transport’s fine grain analysis of the corridor.

 

THE CLUNKER AND ME – The Final Round

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Where Ben is for the Final Round of Unitary Plan Community Meetings

 

Commentary and community meetings continue as The Unitary Plan causes further debate from all sides. I am continuing my jet-setting around the city – although with a main focus closer to home in Southern Auckland and this is where I will be for the final weeks of this round of Unitary Plan feedback.

Please note that while the Unitary Plan feedback closes 31 May; BR:AKL will continue Unitary Plan commentary while TotaRim Consultancy Limited will continue to offer Unitary Plan services to wider Auckland.

 

  • May 6 – Monday: Hawkins Theatre. Papakura is zoned a Metropolitan Centre (18 storeys) and up for some interesting intensification (my home gets rezoned to Mixed Housing – and I am only 100 metres from the northern end of the Metropolitan Zone). Transport is also on the books so how will being a Metropolitan Zone affect Papakura’s transport with motorway interchanges failing us already, the Great South Road still a goat track, the Mill Road Corridor causing grief, and the third busiest rail station – Papakura going to be placed under HUGE pressure from all this growth. This is all hitting at home folks – for me any way. I live here in Papakura so this a big one for me. I will not be letting Penny Pirrit nor Kevin Wright (if he shows up) off so easy this round with the questions in making sure Papakura will not be adversely affected in the Unitary Plan. Home is where the heart is folks and while I support progression and growth, I won’t allow unchecked growth lowering the amenity values of Papakura!
  • May 8 – Wednesday: Vodafone Events Centre. PUBLIC MEETING – REDOUBT ROAD/MILL ROAD CORRIDOR – this is an independent public meeting/rally about the Redoubt/Mill Roads corridor and its effects on those who live within the proximity of the proposed south-east bypass. I live about 5 minutes drive from the southern Mill Road end of the corridor and would notice any rat running down the three main roads that either feed into the Papakura Town Centre or Beach Road which feeds State Highway One via the Papakura Interchange. The road I live on could also be affected as it could act as a bypass to get further north of Porchester Road in order to access the Takanini Village (if Walters Road was not used in the first place). So I will be attending this public meeting to gauge reaction on the feelings of this corridor. 
  • May 13 – Monday: Karaka Hall. KARAKA PUBLIC MEETING – KARAKA COLLECTIVE PRESENTS – a public meeting hosted by the Karaka Residents Association where for the first time the Karaka Collective will be speaking publicly on their idea and reasons for both developing Karaka North and West, and wanting the Weymouth-Karaka Bridge. Okay this meeting is most likely going to be fiery with emotions running on both sides. However at least Karaka Collective are now planning to speak to the residents of Karaka and Weymouth on their plans. Those plans I have in PDF format over at the linked title above (in magenta).
  • May 14 – Tuesday: Auckland Town Hall – Auckland Plan Committee (confirmed). I have a speaking slot here while the Unitary Plan is still under the feedback process to provide clarification on the Manukau City Centre idea. After giving the idea at the Manukau Civic Forum and through my subsequent post: MANUKAU AS THE SECOND CBD OF AUCKLAND; the idea has been noted by Council (Councillors and planners) as well as growing some legs and going for a run. So to save the councillors getting befuddled around Manukau I thought I might go and clarify what I mean with Manukau as our Second CBD.
  • May 14 – Tuesday: Town Hall – UP to You – A Generation Zero Unitary Plan Forum Event. From the Facebook flyer the event is:
    “Auckland will grow by 1 million people over the next 30 years. What will Auckland look like in 2043? The Unitary Plan is an Auckland-wide rulebook to shape the way we grow, calling for a quality, compact city. 
    Since this is a vision for the future, its impact will be greatest on young people. How do we want our city to look? Where do we want to live? How do we get around, and what’s the cost of living in a bigger Auckland? 
    Despite the great impact this plan will have on our lives, the youth voice is largely being ignored in this discussion. It’s time for young Aucklanders to speak up. Learn what it’s all about, talk to the planners, contribute your ideas, submit and have your say in the future of your city!”
    Already in the CBD that day giving my presentation to the Council that day so I might as well trundle along to this youth event and mingle with my counterparts and contemporaries in regards to the Unitary Plan. Sould make for a very good evening 😀 and looking forward to it.

 

These are my final rounds of engagement for this part of the Unitary Plan. It has been quite a journey since March 27 when I both started jet-setting around the city attending Unitary Plan community meetings, running Unitary Plan commentary, giving presentations, and now finalising my submission for the UP. Still got plenty of work to do as the Unitary Plan hits notification around September (at current speed) and all that will entail. But as I mentioned earlier; I will be carrying on my Unitary Plan work – albeit on a more “professional” basis now through TotaRim (which is now open for business).

 

BR:AKL: Bring Well Managed Progress

The Unitary Plan: Bringing Change

Auckland: 2013 – OUR CITY, OUR CALL

TotaRim Consultancy Limited: Talking Unitary Plan that is simple yet informative about YOUR city, YOUR home.