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Auckland Deserves Better

  • Planning Decisions Delayed

      2 July 2024
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    Because of extensive delays in the planning process, the Auckland Deserves Better Appeal is being extended until 30 December 2024. This will allow Character Coalition to continue to raise funds to fully represent the interests of more than 60 Auckland organisations for hearings which are now expected later in 2025.

    The Hearings into the remaining topics to implement Plan Change 78, including proposed Special Character Areas were to begin in June 2024 but the Hearing’s Panel could not proceed because:

    a: the coalition government says it intends but has not yet introduced legislation to allow Council’s to opt out of the MDRS making much of Plan Change 78 optional,

    b: Auckland Council has not yet produced a variation to the Plan Change to address critical implications of flooding,

    c: Auckland Council has not yet produced a variation for the now cancelled light-rail corridor (LRC) which was formerly excluded from the plan change.

    Proceeding with the hearings now would clearly be a waste of time and money.

    Fortunately, the Minister for Resource Management Reform Chris Bishop finally agreed to extend by a year the requirement for a hearings’ decision - now to 31 March 2026. The Hearing Panel has clarified that the Special Character hearings will not be going ahead this year and said that it will review the situation in early 2025.

    You can read more here: https://mailchi.mp/bf98e78dc1f1/planning_delayed

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  • Hearings Continue in 2024

      12 December 2023
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    Submitters to Auckland Council’s Plan Change 78 were advised last week of the proposed schedule of hearings. The hearings had previously been put off for a year until 2024. Conferencing will begin in March 2024 with hearings beginning May 2024.

    The National Party pulled its support for the medium density residential standards that resulted in Auckland Council’s proposed plan change (78), well before forming and leading the current government. The Hearings Panel say they recognize the new government is intending to change the legislation and will review its schedule once any legislative changes are made.

    Accordingly, Character Coalition is extending the Auckland Deserves Better appeal until June 30, 2024, to allow it to continue to fully represent the interests of more than 60 Auckland organisations in the consultation process.

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  • Independent Hearing Panel Update

      15 July 2023
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    The Minister for the Environment has agreed with Council’s request to extend by a year the Plan Change 78 (PC78) process, so it can look at the implications of flooding, and infrastructure inadequacies.

    As a result, the Hearings Panel has deferred all PC78 hearings on Special Character (amongst others) while Council carries out the necessary work.

    Once it has done that work, Council says it will notify a Variation to PC78 to reflect its conclusions and bring the Auckland Light Rail Corridor (ALRC) route into the Plan Change if it is known by then.

    However, submissions on Plan Change 80 (PC80) continued to be heard, with a hearing on the 13th of June. PC80 makes changes to the Regional Policy Statement part of the Unitary Plan, which is the higher-level document that sets out broad objectives and policies to which PC78 must give effect.

    Unfortunately, several submitters, including government agency, Kāinga Ora, are asking the Panel to weaken the wording of the objectives and policies which aim to protect Special Character Areas.

    Character Coalition lodged a submission supporting Council and opposing those submitters. Character Coalition asked the Panel to keep the protective provisions in PC80.

    The Council also made submissions that evidence and submissions already made asking for the ALRC to be brought into PC78 should be determined “out of scope”. The Panel declined this request.

    Photo by Alan Matson: Panel listen to Character Coalition presentation.

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  • Floods have Revealed a Dangerous Disregard for Auckland's Challenges

      16 February 2023
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    As a result of the recent floods and weather-related damage, many Aucklanders have suffered significant loss. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved-ones, and homes and possessions.

    Unfortunately, with climate change Auckland is going to experience more frequent and more severe rainfall events in the future.

    There are calls for a Royal Inquiry into the rebuild of Auckland, and an immediate halt to any further plans for housing intensification under Labour and National's cross-party agreement.

    Character Coalition has now filed its further submission with the Hearing Panel opposing those submitters who want to remove, or diminish, our character areas. We are particularly concerned at the submission of Kāinga Ora, which is asking for six-storey apartment zoning throughout many of our character suburbs.

    Kāinga Ora is also wanting the Auckland Light Rail Corridor area, which Council has excluded from the plan change until the light rail route is known brought into the Plan Change now and zoned for this level of development before the route is even decided. We think that Kāinga Ora should be sticking to its task of building affordable housing for people, and not trying to tell Aucklanders how to plan our city.

    We will be presenting an outline of our case to the Hearings Panel when it holds a pre-hearing conference early next month.

    Photo: Brewster Avenue, Morningside - David White, Stuff. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/300796399/in-photos-the-auckland-storm-and-its-aftermath

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  • Fundraising Campaign Extension

      13 December 2022
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    Auckland Unitary Plan Changes 78 to 83 were notified on 18 August 2022.

    Submissions on those Plan Changes closed on 29 September 2022. 2398 submissions by individuals and organisations on these plan changes were made.

    A summary of Decisions Requested was notified on 5 December 2022.

    Further submissions to Plan Change 78 will close at midnight on 20 January 2023. You can find additional information published by Auckland Council on submissions already made and the Independent Hearings Panel process here, https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans-strategies/unitary-plan/auckland-unitary-plan-modifications/Pages/details.aspx?UnitaryPlanId=140

    Character Coalition will continue to publish updates on the Intensification Plan Change process here.

    At this stage The Panel’s hearings are due to begin after March 2023, and are expected to carry through for some months.

    Character Coalition submitted on Plan Change 78 and will continue to engage fully with the Plan Change process. To do this well we need to engage experts like planning professionals and a heritage specialist. Accordingly, this Givealittle fundraising page, “Auckland Deserves Better”, is being extended until 11 December 2023 – please support this effort to protect the character of our great city for future generations by sharing this update and page.

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  • Your Views on the Auckland's Plan Change are Needed

      12 September 2022
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    Central government has required Auckland Council to enable more building height and density across our city. In response, Council published its preliminary approach and publicly consulted on that in April and May this year, 2022.

    Character Coalition provided detailed feedback to Council, as did a number of our member groups. All feedback from the consultation was then considered by Council.

    Throughout this period, Character Coalition has continued to engage with Council officers to apply Council's assessment methodology coherently and consistently. We advocated for more character and heritage areas in the Unitary Plan to be brought forward into the Plan Change as qualifying matters so that their protection from insensitive and inappropriate development would continue.

    Council's proposed changes to the Unitary Plan were publicly notified on Thursday 18 August 2022.

    Accordingly, Auckland Council is now asking for submissions on its proposed plan changes that respond to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and recent RMA amendments, known as Plan Changes 78 to 83.

    The submission period is open from 18 August until 29 September 2022.

    The main intensification plan change is Plan Change 78. The changes, including the maps showing where Council proposes to retain character and heritage areas, are all on the Council website which you can access here, https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans-strategies/unitary-plan/auckland-unitary-plan-modifications/Pages/details.aspx?UnitaryPlanId=140

    Included in the documents supporting the Plan Change proposal, Council has published an information sheet on character and heritage provisions in the Plan Change - for your reference it is also provided here, https://mcusercontent.com/75bce9db271947a0a9e9799ee/files/8a275fcc-a3bc-c048-0492-f5ce62919640/PC_78_Information_Sheet_9_Special_Character_Areas.pdf

    It is important that as many people and groups as possible make submissions supporting the inclusion of special character areas as a qualifying matter, and identify areas that have been excluded but should be included.

    By making a submission you can give your views and suggestions on these proposed changes to our city's planning rules to be considered by a Hearings Panel early next year.

    You can read more information about Council’s proposed changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan and make a submission online through the Auckland Council website - linked here again, https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans-strategies/unitary-plan/auckland-unitary-plan-modifications/Pages/details.aspx?UnitaryPlanId=140

    Remember, all submissions on this proposed Plan Change must be sent to Council by 29 September 2022.

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  • Auckland Council's Big Reveal

      3 August 2022

    This Thursday 4 August, the Planning Committee of Auckland Council meets to dot the "i"s and cross the "t's of its Plan Change, directed by the bi-partisan supported Act to be implemented by the 20th of August.

    Public submissions will then be able to be made to an Independent Commissioners Panel on the Plan Change, although the part of it that allows three three-storey houses everywhere will already have become operative.

    Character Coalition will strongly encourage individuals and special interest and resident groups to make their own submissions when the time comes - expect to hear more on this from us soon.

    In the meantime, the Planning Committee's meeting this Thursday, August the 4th, is the final gauntlet that special character areas must pass through to be proposed as Qualifying Matters under the Government's Resource Management "Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021. Congratulations to the many groups and members who have put forward such a strong case for their continued protection. For now, the decision making process will be on the floor of the Committee Meeting and we will be watching closely.

    The Planning Committee Meeting will be held from 10am Thursday, 4 August in the Reception Lounge of the Auckland Town Hall, 301-305 Queen Street, Auckland. The meeting is open to members of the public. If you are not able to attend in person, Character Coalition will also post the Council's livestream of the meeting on our Facebook Page.

    There was a sizeable attendance at Save Our Suburbs Alliance public meeting at St Matthews-in-the-City on Sunday, 31 July. This meeting was not organised by Character Coalition but spokesperson Sally Hughes was invited to speak. A video of her address is pasted here:

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  • Aucklanders Emphatically Endorse the Retention of Special Character Areas

      7 June 2022
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    Auckland Council has released its summary of consultation feedback on its preliminary response to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 and the amendments to the Resource Management Act the Government made in 2021.

    7680 items of feedback were received. The results show that Auckland is strongly in favour of keeping our Special Character Areas (SCA’s).

    Amongst individual respondents, 72% agreed that SCA’s should be a “qualifying matter” in Council’s proposed plan change. 30% thought all SCA’s, not just those Council has chosen as being what it considers are of “high quality” should be included. Only 19% thought they should not.

    Similarly, amongst institutional respondents, 49% agreed that SCA’s should be a qualifying matter, and 18% thought they all should be. Only 16% thought they should not.

    This is an overwhelming endorsement for the retention of SCA’s. Character Coalition is grateful to all those individuals and groups who put in this feedback and have sent such a strong signal to Council, and Government, that Auckland values its SCA’s and wants them kept.

    Character Coalition’s continues to make the most robust case possible through the planning process.

    You can read Council's summary of feedback here: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/70516/widgets/374546/documents/234748

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  • Thank you to a generous benefactor

      4 May 2022
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    Character Coalition thanks the generous benefactor who has made a multiple-four-figure donation directly to the Incorporated Society, allowing it to advocate strongly for Auckland to be properly planned and keep its special character and natural beauty, for all our communities.

    Picture: Remuera Library from https://remueraresidents.org.nz/ and https://remuera.org.nz/remuera-library

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  • Gutting to See Large Areas on the Chopping Block for Destruction

      22 April 2022
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    In this article by NZ Herald's Super City Reporter, Bernard Orsman outlines how "nearly one in four of Auckland's historic villas and bungalows could be rezoned for high-density housing under draft plans released by Auckland Council [19 April]." ...

    "Council's chief of strategy Megan Tyler said the council is trying to balance new directions from the Government for intensification against people's desire to keep the city's special character and values." ...

    "Auckland mayor Phil Goff has backed the Government's objective of building more houses more quickly, but pointed out new building consents are running at record numbers and Aucklanders want to keep the best of the city's heritage and character." ...

    "[Character Coalition spokeswoman Sally Hughes said], 'if there's one thing Auckland Council knows already, it's that Aucklanders love their city and nobody walks in and steals it without encountering a strong defence'."

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-council-high-density-housing-government-directive-sparks-proposal-to-rezone-5000-homes-with-heritage-values-for-intensification/5GT3NLSGQYB3EJC346UPCGNPXI/

    [Photo: Jason Oxenham, NZ Herald]

    Have your say at: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/housing

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