Hard News: A plea for sanity on the Unitary Plan
169 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Newer→ Last
-
Fantastic post RB, now I understand what you have been getting so obviously irritated with Bernard Orsman about. I also seriously commend the Niall Insight Documentary – it is a great radio feature, understated but very clear in what it conveys. The govt is at sea over Auckland. clueless. In am even beginning to have some sympathy for the idea of Amalgamation here in Wellington. It would be nice for my town to have some real klout and that NZTA couldn't just snap it's fingers and have several lovsl Mayors jump to its attention - as it does now.
-
Agreed. We can't keep letting suburbia sprawl all the way from pukekohe to wellsford. What Auckland needs is at least 3 city centres. One in the north either in henderson or albany, or both and the other in the south, possibly manukau. These new cities will need high speed rail linking them, parking buildings, office buildings, streets, theatres etc and will need to be designed based on traditional cities not big box retail like commonly developed today. The unitary plan has created far too many town centres, local centres and much too widespread higher intensity development that is upsetting the wider Auckland population. If we create 3 or 4 cities and protect the integrity of existing residential areas in auckland then we will create more choice for the residents of the Auckland region for finding alternatives to where they live, work and play. My husband and I currently commute against the flow of rush hour traffic and if more people had the option to work in other city centres this would significantly reduce traffic congestion. Creating new cities for Auckland would allow sustainable development for Auckland and would allow the metropolitan urban limits to be extended in a sensible manner so that this country can grow. We need to create alternatives to the current Auckland city centre because it is finite and not everyone can have a piece. How do we pay for these new cities you ask? Well all those property investors who are buying up residential properties could divert their funds and start building a better future for Auckland.
-
BenWilson, in reply to
Dark arts indeed.
I still can't buy Hooton as a Death Eater. Slytherin, sure.
-
Kumara Republic, in reply to
And chances are the loudest opponents of the Unitary Plan otherwise have no time for the Resource Management Act. What's the real reason for their whining, then? Property cartelism? Snobbery (which is a form of social cartellsm)? Or just sour grapes about John Banks not taking Auckland? Or even all of the above?
-
Thanks for the post and links. I needed to look at it all.
The current furor is over the opportunity provided to have input into a process about planning to create a plan for the future growth of Auckland City.
I attribute the “heart” of the irrational opposition to the "plan to create a plan" is – “we don’t want “them” as neighbors – living in their “apartment homes”. Who are the “them” and what and where are those “apartment homes”? – Well that doesn’t seem to matter “they” just don’t want “them” in their neighborhoods.
Asked myself does Government have any plans to accommodate the population growth pressure- say for instance the growth in school age population?
The answer is “No”.I am going to take the time to provide feedback on the draft plan
-
The misinformation has reached my school's community, with folk being told tomorrow is the last chance to submit. Sigh.
-
Andrew C, in reply to
Disappointing to see so much misinformation about the Plan
I agree, but dont just blame the punters for this.
I went to one of the meeting where Len and his officers came to try and explain some of the details around the Unitary Plan.
They talked constantly about 2 story height neighbourhoods. Then the guy from 2040 stood up and said it could be 3. The officers just KEPT REPEATING THE 2 STORY LINE, until he forced them to admit it could be 3.
That is simply hopeless. Talk about throwing petrol on a fire.
And for the record I have no real concerns or interest in this height thing, I was there to learn about a different item (significant ecological areas), I am just reporting what I saw. I don't think the council is trying to be tricksy at all, but I do think that they need to take some of the repsonsibilty for the misinformation/fear that is out there.
-
Anna Subritzsky's What consultation process? op-ed in the Herald today makes the council's actions over the the Waterview Precinct Plan look dismissive and arbitary.
But if you read the actual feedback report it seems clear that the decision on the siting of the terraced/apartment area (on run-down Housing NZ property to the north of the suburb) was made as a result of feedback.
The original comprehensive development area to the south of the suburb was deemed inappropriate because of the need to preserve viewshafts. So none of this is as mysterious or arbitrary as the column claims.
The Waterview Community Facebook page claims:
Being Government owned HNZ buildings, they are highly likely to be LOW COST, POORLY DESIGNED with poor social outcomes for their residents and Waterview as a suburb
Which might be getting us closer to the nub of the matter.
-
Graham Dunster, in reply to
Tomorrow is the last chance to submit on the Draft Unitary Plan. Totally true.
-
Sacha, in reply to
the loudest opponents of the Unitary Plan otherwise have no time for the Resource Management Act
Pays to look at this in light of the proposed RMA changes. That's where some of the tension lies.
-
Rich of Observationz, in reply to
I'm very opposed to a Wellington supercity. I actually think the opposite and that we should remove Tawa and J-ville from the city to create an actual urban community.
Councils aren't sports teams - the idea is that they provide good services and appropriate regulation - not to demonstrate what a cool place the city is or what a Big Swinging Dick(ess) the mayor is.
If we look at ultimate efficiency, then with a country smaller than most world cities, a single Ministry of Local Government could probably do it all more cheaply. The reason we have local councils is so that decisions can be made by and for distinct communities, which implies that councils should represent such distinct areas, not arbitrary large regions with nothing in common.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
Tomorrow is the last chance to submit on the Draft Unitary Plan. Totally true.
Yes, and then everyone will have the opportunity to comment and make formal submissions on a proposed Unitary Plan shaped by this initial feedback phase. But you knew that.
-
Graham Dunster, in reply to
Indeed, just wanted to clarify Tamara's post.
And who knows if things change during the process...
-
When communication isn't clear mis-information has an opportunity to prevail. The council should have taken more steps to make this complex document easier to understand.
I'm also curious why people who oppose the DUP are labelled as being mis-informed by those who support the DUP. It's quite condescending.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
I’m also curious why people who oppose the DUP are labelled as being mis-informed by those who support the DUP. It’s quite condescending.
But doesn't the email addressed in the original post answer that question?
-
SteveL, in reply to
I assume what Chris is saying is that not everyone who expressing opposition to the DUP is doing so on the basis of emails such as the one that is the subject of the post.
-
Chris W, in reply to
Correct SteveL. There seems to be a trend of labeling all opposition as mis-informed. The majority of opposition is sound and is valuable to the council in their review process, just like the feedback for support. The whole point of the consultation process is for council to see what people think. If people submit objections on the basis of mis-information the council should be able to pick up on this and treat it accordingly.
-
Sacha, in reply to
If people submit objections on the basis of mis-information the council should be able to pick up on this and treat it accordingly
Totally agree. And I for one am available at very reasonable rates if they don't have the necessary skills to do that.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
Correct SteveL. There seems to be a trend of labeling all opposition as mis-informed. The majority of opposition is sound and is valuable to the council in their review process, just like the feedback for support. The whole point of the consultation process is for council to see what people think. If people submit objections on the basis of mis-information the council should be able to pick up on this and treat it accordingly.
I absolutely agree that it's vital for people to communicate what they don't like or see as defective with the DUP. People in the discussion here all have reasoned points of view. But I'm really not sure that can be said about the "majority" of the opposition at the moment.
-
SteveL, in reply to
Or at least the most vocal component of it.
-
Chris W, in reply to
But I’m really not sure that can be said about the “majority” of the opposition at the moment.
Thanks Russel, you just proved my point about opponents being labelled as mis-informed.
-
Glenn Pearce, in reply to
It's fair to say the mechanism for providing feedback from September will be more involved than the current mechanisms of sending an email though.
It's going to be akin to a Board of Inquiry, Environment Court Hearing including cross examination.
That's likely to put off most punters except those will a real axe to grind.
-
Council voted against extending the submission period on the Draft. Note George Woods' understanding of what the Plan allows.
-
Sj,
Hello PA people. Please excuse the rude gatecrash but... I used to write on PAS under 'Speaker' (Sally Jones). Time flies; it's a few years back now (about three), so maybe nobody remembers, but let's say one or two of you do remember - the blow-job writer, my first essay here was on 'My first job' - then please feel free to check out my new blog - One Woman's World (OWW)
http://onewomanswo.blogspot.co.nz/ and leave a comment. Better still, 'follow'. I will do the same in return.
It's especially for the poets. Just finished a poem on the side effects of sex. Poets and feminists, feminist poets, are particularly welcome.Sacha.
-
Sacha, in reply to
welcome back. and Sacha is a great name. :)
Post your response…
This topic is closed.