Decision digest: Auckland Development Committee

10 September 2015

Special Housing Area programme discussed at development committee

Auckland Council’s Development Committee today considered the Special Housing Area programme for 2015/16.

The agenda is available on Auckland Council’s website and minutes will be added once confirmed. This meeting was also webcast on the council’s website and items will be available on demand within 24 hours of the meeting.http://councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/

Items 1- 4 were administrative items.

Item 5: Public Input

Joel Cayford addressed the committee on Queen Elizabeth Square

The committee thanked Mr. Cayford for his input.

Items 6 - 10 were administrative items

Item 11: Special Housing Area programme for 2015/16

The purpose of this report was to update on pending Special Housing Area (SHA) requests and to recommend refinements to the SHA establishment criteria.

Following a detailed discussion, the committee agreed to approve the below recommendations:

a) note that on 10 September 2013 the Governing Body endorsed criteria for the definition and establishment of Special Housing Areas in accordance with the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 and the Auckland Housing Accord (10 September 2013, item 12, resolution number GB 2013/93).

b) note that on 16 April 2015 the Auckland Development Committee agreed to a special housing area programme for the remainder of 2015 that applies the existing Special Housing Area (SHA) establishment criteria with additional considerations (16 April 2015, item C3, resolution number AUC/2015/75).

c) note that these additional considerations were communicated to individuals and organisations on the Housing Project Office’s (HPO) list of SHA requesters and developers.

d) agree that the SHA establishment criteria and additional considerations would be improved by refining and consolidating the criteria in a single document, and adopting the following format:

i) presentation of the criteria in question and answer form;

ii) adopting guidance to explain how each criterion can be applied.

e) agree that the amended refined and consolidated criteria and explanatory guidance for assessing SHA requests in Attachment D of the report CP2015/16690, be referred for endorsement to the Governing Body meeting on24 September 2015 and applied from the day following the Governing Body’s endorsement.

f) agree that the refined and consolidated SHA criteria will be communicated to interested parties and put on the council’s website.

g) agree that those with pending SHA requests will be invited to provide additional information to supplement that already provided to the HPO.

h) note that the criteria are non-exhaustive and that the council has the discretion whether or not to recommend a SHA, having taken into account the criteria and any other relevant matters.

i) note that clause 3.1 of the Governing Body Terms of Reference provide that the Auckland Development Committee has responsibility for SHA designations.

j) agree that the Auckland Development Committee exercise its delegated authority to make recommendations on behalf of Council to the Minister of Building and Housing on the designation of SHAs unless timing of committee meetings or special circumstances exist, that justify the matter to go to the Governing Body.

k) agree that in consultation with the chair and deputy chair the HPO may decide not to refer to the Committee for consideration SHA requests that do not satisfy the criteria 1 – 3 in Attachments C and D of the report CP2015/16690, which relate to section 16(3) of the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013. The HPO would still report to the committee on those requests that are supported, or where the HPO takes the view that the request does not satisfy one or more of the council’s criteria, other than criteria 1 – 3 in Attachments C and D of the report CP2015/16690.

l) note that on 26 August 2015 there were 41 SHA requests under consideration by the Housing Project Office.

m) note that assessing criteria 4 (Strategic Location), proximity to existing and emerging employment areas will take account of average travel/commute times.

n) note criteria 5 (yield) is to include consideration of exemplar proposals for brownfield locations where the yield is less than 50.

o) given a preference for higher yielding brownfield sites that early consultation with Local boards and local councillors remains a priority for the Housing Project Office noting Accord timeframes.

–ENDS-

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