Media Release
Vic Crone
Auckland Mayoral Candidate

Government’s urban growth policy should be business as usual

Auckland Mayoral Candidate Vic Crone says the Government’s proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development should be something any good council does as a matter of good planning.

“I don’t think this statement tells councils to do anything other than what they should be doing as a matter of core business,” says Ms Crone.

“We have to remember this isn't a recent knee-jerk reaction. This NPS process started last year and the proposed nationwide policy has always been planned for release about now. But it’s a much-needed and timely reminder for council on its responsibilities and priorities.

“Any organisation must be attuned to the importance of monitoring and forecasting future demand, analysing current capacity and then having the tools and flexibility to respond to any possible shortfall in the short, medium and long term.

“Obviously somewhere along the line, we’ve dropped the ball in Auckland which is why we’re suffering big undersupply and resulting price issues. We’re not forecasting well enough, not planning based on important market factors, and we’re certainly not flexible enough in our response.

“The government has said all councils must give a clearer and more holistic picture of what we need and how we change what we're doing to deliver it.

“Ultimately the big lessons council needs to take away from this are:

-Be smarter - plan for future needs based on good forecasting and monitoring

-Be responsive - have a flexible culture and solutions to respond to issues, particularly in the shorter term. Here Government must also play its role being more agile in freeing up crown land when needed

-Be collaborative - with a range of crucial stakeholders including infrastructure providers, developers, the government, social housing providers, and other councils, you can’t operate in a silo

-Be ambitious - whether it be more efficient consenting or more investment by developers, you can’t build a world class city with the mentality that everything is impossible.

“I think this also reminds Auckland Council that Auckland isn't an island on its own. It’s the engine room of New Zealand and when we miss the mark here, the rest of the country has to deal with it.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media