ARC takes ‘hands off’ approach to Orewa urban development decisions

8 February 2007

Auckland Regional Council (ARC) Strategy and Planning Committee Chair, Paul Walbran, says he is perplexed by recent suggestions that the council is demanding greater urban intensification in Orewa.

“The ARC has not imposed anything on anyone: the seven local councils in the Auckland region all helped to develop the Regional Growth Strategy and it is now up to each council to implement the strategy.”

The Regional Growth Strategy is a 50-year plan that promotes a compact and efficient city where there is a close relationship between land use and transport infrastructure. The aim is to give people a range of transport, lifestyle and housing choices.

Mr Walbran says that the Regional Growth Strategy identified Orewa as an area suitable for a combination of intensification around its centre and greenfields development over the next 50 years. It is, however, up to the Rodney District Council how it goes about implementing the strategy within its own area.

There are mechanisms in place to ensure that local councils consult their communities about proposed changes to district plans that may arise.

The strategy is reviewed to ensure that it is still relevant, with a current review due for completion mid-year. All seven local councils, and the ARC, are involved in the reviews.

Mr Walbran says the ARC’s role is to facilitate the Regional Growth Strategy being put in place across the Auckland region and it is committed to ensuring high quality urban development.

“We are happy to meet with councils in the Auckland region to clear up any confusion about each others’ responsibilities,” he says.

ENDS

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