Russell,

correct me if I'm wrong, but since the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan came out on the 30th Sep...you've been a bit quiet on it (and so to the MSM).

I remember reading a great piece from you when the Draft plan came out...but not recently.

There's been a shift from the intensification philosophy first mooted back in the Draft Plan (that caused great debate in Granny's letters page) to more of the same 'urban sprawl'. There is a rediculous amount of proposed 'future urban' within the Plan now and less of the intensification that had the opportunity to really transform Auckland.

Some would say the local body politicians have gone back to the safe option as opposed to enabling a real cultural shift. I wonder about the the mood out there for intensification? The submissions on the plan will be very interesting!

Sorry Rich (if I can take a liberty and address you as such), you're off the mark on that one (I really hope I'm not feeding the troll).

Not all the residents in Mangawhai Heads have million dollar baches, and some have been there for generations with the 'good ole kiwi bach' still in evidence. What some object to (as do I, and I do not even own property there) - is a complete Council fiasco in the implelementation of a modern sewerage system.

It's actually a bloody good example of a quasi PPP gone very bad, to the detriment of the local residents. It has also put immense pressure on the local Council's financial viability and has impacted on it providing for essential services across the entire District.

Last I heard the Auditor General was looking into it.