Future of Auckland unveiled

Auckland Council passes plan to build the world’s most liveable city

One governing body, a 7000-page document and four days of heated discussions culminated into a historic moment for New Zealand planning. A new landmark for Auckland’s future was reached on August 15 when the council’s governing body made its decisions on the recommendations from the Independent Hearings Panel.

The four-year-long process that saw public consultations, hearings, evidence review and decision-making will now provide Auckland with a new single set of planning rules to manage the future growth of the city. The council’s decision will be made public on the Auckland Council website on Friday, August 19.

Unitary plan explained

It’s been in the news for a while and everyone is talking about it. But for the ones who are still wondering what the fuss is all about, here is what the Auckland Unitary Plan means.

In simple terms, it is the planning rulebook for the city that provides a set of rules for what you can build where. It replaces the Regional Policy Statement and 13 different district and regional plans, each with a different direction plan. Changes that are made in one part of the city have effects on others. With the growth seen over the past couple of years in Auckland, the city was in need of a framework that was more consistent, long-term, and sustainable.

The Unitary Plan provides the city with a plan to deal with the growth seen in the past few years and expected in the following years.

History of the Unitary Plan

After the Auckland Council was formed in 2010, the government asked the council to develop a set of planning rules. In March 2013, Auckland Council prepared the first draft of the Unitary Plan. More than 200 public meetings were held and the council received 21,000 pieces of written feedback that can be viewed on the Auckland Council website. Following this, the government appointed an Independent Hearings Panel in 2014 to hear the submissions on the proposed Unitary Plan and recommend a plan moving forward.

After holding hearings, reviewing 10,000 pieces of evidence, and 13,364 submissions, the panel presented the council with its recommendations on July 22, 2016, which was published on the council’s website on July 27. After rounds of debates and decision-making, the council finally passed the Auckland Unitary Plan on August 15.

The council’s blueprint is based on an estimated future demand. It forecasts one million residents in Auckland by 2040, which means more than 400,000 new homes need to be built in the next two to three decades to meet the requirements of the growing city. The passing of the plan will help in realising the dream for a compact city: more homes that use less space, more housing choices, and efficient public transport. Some of the key decisions made by the council let the Auckland Unitary Plan to provide for:

•    More than 400,000 residential homes to meet the demands of the growing city

•    A more compact city to build up to six stories near town centres and transport hubs

•    Focussing on high-quality urban design that rehashes the traditional approach of one house on a section

•    Protection of the city’s historic heritage and 74 volcanic view shafts

•    Managing rural areas to ensure that that the primary focus is on rural activities

A big step towards building a better Auckland

Although may Aucklanders fear that the plan will leave them with towering apartment buildings and would take away the city’s green space, the council’s vision lies on the other end of the spectrum. The Unitary Plan gives a new plan to address Auckland’s housing issues. It has drawn much criticism from the public and media houses, putting pressure on the government to come up with faster and improved ways to deal with the problem. One of the many changes the plan proposes to make is on the types of houses built in different areas. It increases the area zoned as Mixed Housing Suburban—that allows two houses with up to two storeys per section—by five per cent. The Mixed Housing Urban category, which allows constructions of two houses with up to three storeys, also increased by 48%. There will be a 25% growth in town houses and apartments with up to four to five storeys.

Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said the government had welcomed the passing of the plan. “This plan eases zoning regulations and the more than 400,000 properties it allows for is about double that of the plan, which was notified by the council in 2013.

“The government has always said that council rules, which have blocked new housing development, are at the core of the city’s housing problems and so this new plan is at the heart of the long-term solution to Auckland’s housing problems,” Smith said, as quoted by Stuff.co.nz.

Talking about the decision to pass the Unitary Plan, Auckland Council Mayor Len Brown applauded the council’s efforts. “My colleagues are to be applauded for their positive manner, as is the public for allowing us the space to deliberate accordingly. We now have a very finely balanced plan, which will ultimately deliver for the benefit of Auckland. I also salute the outstanding professionalism of council staff,” he said.

Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Auckland Development Committee Penny Hulse, who led the unitary plan process, said, “Without a doubt, this is the biggest exercise undertaken by Auckland Council since its inception and it simply couldn’t have happened without the drive and passion from everyone involved.

“Without them, we would not have the plan we have today—a plan that will help grow and shape our incredible city in decades to come.”

Aucklanders, it’s your chance to appeal

After the Auckland Council notifies the public with its final decision on its website, Aucklanders can review the decisions and file an appeal for a period of 20 working days. Limited appeals are allowed under the law until September 16 to the Environment Court.

You can search for your property address to find out the implications of the recommendations made on unitaryplanmaps.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/UPRecommendation. Future details on the history of the plan, the modifications made and daily updates from the four-day decisions made by the governing body can be found on Auckland Council’s official website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.