Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Friday 19 March 2009

C&R’s Growth Plan “Flawed”

City Vision-Labour councillors are critical of the Auckland City Council’s draft ‘Auckland’s Future Planning Framework’ document, due for release today by Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) for public consultation, describing it as “flawed”

Labour Tamaki-Maungakiekie Councillor Leila Boyle and City Vision Eden-Albert Councillor Glenda Fryer said that more work by Council planning staff was needed to gain better consistency in areas for growth and intensification and that this should have been completed before the public process of consultation begins.

The C&R majority decided at this month’s City Development Committee to start the consultation process with members of the public on the Future Planning Framework document which deals with Auckland city’s residential and business growth to 2050.

Councillors Fryer and Boyle attempted to improve the Future Planning Framework document at the City Development Committee meeting so that the public could gain more confidence in the equity and consistency of outcomes of housing and business intensification whilst being assured that there would be no weakening of heritage protection and values.

Councillor Boyle said, “We were not able to change the minds of C&R councillors that a little more time considering issues of consistency, equity and heritage would have led to a stronger and clearer document to ask the public to comment on.”

Councillor Fryer said, “Aucklanders want certainty and careful protection of their communities and lifestyle, while giving additional opportunities for their children and grandchildren to live and work nearby.”

EDEN ALBERT WARD (Councillor Glenda Fryer)

“The protection of character and heritage is wanted by a majority of Auckland residents so I was disappointed that the C&R majority would not give an undertaking to ensure no diminution of heritage values embodied in the current Residential 1, 2 and 3 zones, Centre Plans, Heritage Overlays, and scheduled buildings.  There is a need for enhancement of heritage values not already embodied in the Operative District Plan, but also a need to keep what is in the District Plan safe from unsuitable development.

“In the Eden-Albert ward additional residential and business intensification near town centres in Mt Albert, Mt Eden, Kingsland, Balmoral and Morningside may not be welcomed if it reduces the character and heritage values of those communities.  Some residents may question whether dwarfing residential houses by multi-storied business developments along Dominion and Mt Eden Roads, and over-intensifying Sandringham and Balmoral Roads will protect our community lifestyles,” Councillor Fryer said.

TAMAKI-MAUNGAKIEKIE WARD (Councillor Leila Boyle)

Councillor Boyle said, “During the debate, C&R councillors claimed the Future Panning Framework is a ‘legacy’ document as important as the Council’s 10-year plan and that it is ‘vitally important to do it right’.  However, when we came up with constructive and sensible improvements and clarifications, C&R block voted against them which I find extremely hypocritical!”

“The population of Auckland city is growing and this is driving the need for additional housing and business opportunities.  What is interesting is that two thirds of the growth is generated by Auckland city people having families while only one third of the additional population is from migrants to Auckland from within New Zealand or from overseas.  If we want to make sure our young people choose to stay here, we must make sure they have job opportunities and affordable housing choices.”

“This C&R council has cut many projects from Tamaki-Maungakiekie communities which the previous council had planned for in recognition of the 35,000 additional people and 10,000 additional jobs over the next 15 years in the Tamaki Edge area which includes Glen Innes, Panmure, Mt Wellington and Sylvia Park.

When you add to that the additional growth of people and jobs expected in Ellerslie, Onehunga and Otahuhu, many local groups tell me that the large amounts of proposed intensification across the Tamaki-Maungakiekie ward are not sufficiently supported by adequate infrastructure provision for the future.  Lots of people say Council should either substantially reduce their plans for growth or projects like the Otahuhu pool and the music and arts centre in Glen Innes (MAGIC) must be reinstated to the 10-year plan.

“Treatment of residential and business outcomes along key passenger transport routes in the ward are inconsistent.  We need to protect heritage and character values across the ward, particularly in the early settlement areas of Ellerslie, Onehunga and Otahuhu.

“I urge communities to have their say on these proposals and tell this C&R Council to either put up the infrastructure projects they are responsible for providing or scale back growth proposals in Tamaki-Maungakiekie,” Councillor Boyle concluded.

ENDS

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