Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: So what now?

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  • Bart Janssen,

    Just like to mention we got intensification on the end of our street a decade ago (55ish apartments)

    The. Sky. Did. Not. Fall.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Just like to mention we got intensification on the end of our street a decade ago (55ish apartments)

    Just as Councillors Chris Darby and George Wood’s problems with “intensification” don’t seem to apply to retirement home developments. I guess big ugly blocks of over-priced ticky tacky aren’t so bad when they’re being filled by affluent elderly registered voters.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    At the very least, those who advocate intensification need to carry the existing residents of the areas planned for intensification.

    Okay hands up who knows where the most recent piece of urban intensification is in Takapuna?

    That'll be The Poynton all five storeys of it.

    The Poynton is a premium retirement village, situated in the exclusive coastal communities of Takapuna and Milford, on Auckland’s North Shore.

    Does this count as ironic?

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    @craig you beat me by minutes.......

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Ross, in reply to Sacha,

    Government can either install Commissioners now or in August and cop bigger backlash.

    In any case Key will survive as Orakei wont vote for Little in a hurry.

    As for Commissioners they can be there until the 2019 elections. Basically means see the Unitary Plan through and most appeals in the Courts. After that we go back to a Governing Body.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2014 • 32 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Simon Lyall,

    Penelope Keith

    You probably hit the right demographic here to get that reference - but are we talking The Good Life Penelope Keith or the To the Manor Born Penelope Keith?
    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    aren’t so bad when they’re being filled by affluent elderly registered voters

    Not to mention the shares in Ryman

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Fairey,

    Would replacing Governing Body with Commissioners only apply to the Unitary Plan process? And what about Local Boards, do they get replaced too? It is a shared governance model after all.

    I'm not very happy today. That's probably about all I should say about that right now.

    Puketapapa Mt Roskill, AK… • Since Dec 2007 • 234 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    The Herald has been running a typical disinformation campaign against the Unitary Plan for reasons I can’t figure out.

    Because Bernard Orsman hates Len Brown. It really is that simple.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Julie Fairey,

    Would replacing Governing Body with Commissioners only apply to the Unitary Plan process? And what about Local Boards, do they get replaced too? It is a shared governance model after all.

    No. It's all or nothing, as I understand it. The UP is already being handled by an independent entity. If the council is replaced by commissioners, I deeply suspect (if ECan is anything to go by) local boards would be instructed to do what they're told. "Shared governance" means that local boards are part of the Governing Body.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Julie Fairey,

    I'm not very happy today.

    unsurprisingly.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    And the whole thing makes a Bloomberg blog that draws comparisons with similar battles in America:

    I have cited, again and again, the estimate by economists Chang-Tai Hsieh and Enrico Moretti that reducing regulatory constraints on housing to the national norm in just New York, San Francisco and San Jose would increase U.S. gross domestic product by 9.5 percent. That's an estimate, and you may find the assumptions behind it debatable. But I'm willing to believe that it's directionally correct. And if you consider that similar forces are at work in Auckland and other cities around the world, it's hard not to wonder whether one of the major forces holding back global economic growth these days is old people yelling rudely at zoning meetings.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie, in reply to Julie Fairey,

    When the Canterbury RC was put into commission, all the members of the authority were sacked, and the commissioners took over all their powers for all purposes, not just the water-related stuff. Unsure where local boards fall here, but I'd guess they'd be gone too.

    You can appoint a crown manager that has limited powers and keep the elected members there.

    (I personally can't imagine any government ever putting commissioners into the Auckland Council absent outright fraud by the CE and mayor or whatever, so what happens to local boards in that case will hopefully remain academic.)

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to 81stcolumn,

    Okay hands up who knows where the most recent piece of urban intensification is in Takapuna?

    And the next most recent is the 30-storey Sentinel, which wouldn't be out of place in Vancouver or Manhattan.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    S.N.A.F.U.

    As crazy as disbanding an elected body that was protecting waterways from overuse and appointing a commission that to greenlight dairy expansion in one of the least suitable environments in NZ.

    It can't happen here!

    Still no firm indication when the National Water Barons will take their boot of Canterbury's neck -

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to 81stcolumn,

    Okay hands up who knows where the most recent piece of urban intensification is in Takapuna?

    That’ll be The Poynton all five storeys of it.

    The delicious irony is that it’s actually a pretty good case study in why “intensification” can be a damn good idea. (And yes, it’s ugly as all fuck off but even my genius for hyperbole wouldn’t go so far as to call it a geriatric slum.)

    It’s a retirement village that literally has the North Shore Hospital over the back fence, has a major public transport hub across the road, is well served by amenities that are easily accessible. As I understand it, a lot of residents either can’t drive or choose not to keep cars (it’s a pretty serious expense if you’re on a fixed income) and they don’t have to.

    The Quarter Acre Pavolva Paradise is more like a nightmare for many people, and it’s about time the rentier media-political-industrial complex got a reality check to that effect. And in a local body election year, I don’t think Auckland is going to get a better chance.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Orsman's column today makes it pretty clear where his reporting comes from:

    Last night's vote to scuttle housing density plans is a victory for democracy and another black mark against the Len Brown-Penny Hulse leadership.

    Mayoral candidate Vic Crone hit the nail on the head when she said the Unitary Plan further undermines Aucklanders' low trust in the council after the port debacle and a sneaky 9.9 per cent rates rise.

    Phil Goff, another mayoral candidate, said the main game turned into alienating residents' quality of life and value of their properties.

    Either Goff or Crone will probably have to deal with the mess that will spill over to a new mayor and council after October's local body elections.

    To recap, late last year a proposal was hatched to rezone thousands of homes in the city's leafy suburbs for intensification. No-one was consulted or had a formal right of reply under the Unitary Plan process.

    Of course, they're not "plans" and they're not "scuttled".

    This is so deficient an account of what actually happened it seems clear Orsman isn't really interested in informing his readers. All they need to know is that, like everything, it's Len Brown's fault.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    Seriously did Len Brown steal Bernard Orsman's lunch when he was a kid?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11595378

    And how is this even published anywhere let alone in the biggest newspaper in the country, what a load of tripe.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Sacha,

    What it was like to be one of the rare young people in that room yesterday.

    omg, the comments.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    And how is this even published anywhere let alone in the biggest newspaper in the country, what a load of tripe.

    As I noted on Twitter, the Herald has been on the wrong side of history quite a few times over the decades.

    Orsman seems determined to take up the tradition.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    It’s a retirement village that literally has the North Shore Hospital over the back fence, has a major public transport hub across the road, is well served by amenities that are easily accessible. As I understand it, a lot of residents either can’t drive or choose not to keep cars (it’s a pretty serious expense if you’re on a fixed income) and they don’t have to.

    Selwyn Village, in my suburb, has a fucking tower block. I guess they should count themselves lucky they got in when they did.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Leanne Pooley,

    I can't believe we've allowed the Nimby vs Progress narrative to distract from what is really happening, it's a land grab that will NOT help the young or the disadvantaged into central Auckland. We all agree intensification needs to happen but lets not kid ourselves that private property development will help first time home buyers into "leafy" suburbs. The ONLY thing that will do that is a massive Social Housing scheme which we know isn't going to happen. I live next to 3 state houses in Westmere. Housing NZ doesn't support the PAUP so they can build more, but so they can flog the ones they have to developers who will build million dollar apartments. My neighbours will be kicked out and the gentrification of Westmere will continue. The developers are fighting for high value land as this assures the highest return (that's their business). If the Government was serious about home ownership equality they'd introduce policy that discouraged rampant speculation (local and overseas), they'd address the issue of "ghost" houses (in the order of 20,000), they'd stop the Chinese using our Realestate market to launder dirty money (see Interest.co.nz re this), they'd build more (many more) State houses/apartments for subsidised rentals, and then we could have sensible intensification (main roads, there's no need to build apartments on tiny residential streets as per the out-of-scope plan). Of course while we bicker about old vs young, they don't have to do any of this.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2016 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Leanne Pooley, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    The fact is having apartments at the end of streets on main roads makes perfect sense. Plopping them in the middle of tiny cresents (as suggested in the out-of-scope plan) doesn’t.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2016 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Leanne Pooley,

    If the Government was serious about home ownership equality they'd introduce policy that discouraged rampant speculation

    If only their libertarian straitjacket allowed such thoughts.

    Instead, Bernard Hickey told RNZ's Panel that our Finance Minister today told a business audience he was going to radically restructure the housing market the same way his predecessors did with electricity or telecommunications. What could possibly go wrong?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell,

    There is an answer to the Auckland housing problem, for some - 2 years ago, my daughter and son in law left Auckland for Dunedin - they despaired of buying a house in Auckland. Two months ago, they bought a house here - for just over $250,000.
    It's 5 minutes from Michael's work, has schools and kindergartens in easy walking distance, and is 10 minutes from the city centre.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

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