Auckland Development Committee to consider council’s position on volcanic viewshafts

Auckland Council’s Auckland Development Committee will today consider council’s position for mediation before the Independent Hearings Panel on volcanic viewshafts and height sensitive areas.

Under the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, there are 87 proposed viewshafts, however the council’s position at the start of the hearing on the topic before the Panel last year was that nine of those should be deleted due to the impact of development and vegetation.

The independent panel, however, issued interim guidance last year that it did not, at that stage, consider all of the volcanic viewshafts and height sensitive areas contained in the PAUP were of regional significance or that any development that penetrates a volcanic viewshaft would be inappropriate.

A group of experts engaged by other submitters was formed to take a closer look at the topic of volcanic viewshafts and height sensitive areas. The council’s experts then carefully considered both the guidance of the panel and arguments put forward by the expert group in coming to its proposed position.

Council staff have now recommended to the committee the proposed removal of the following five volcanic viewshafts from the PAUP:

• Mt Albert from Fowlds Park
• Mt Eden from Balmoral Rd
• Mt Eden from Alberton House
• Mt Eden from the Southern motorway
• Mt Wellington from Waipuna Rd

Additionally, they have recommended that the following three volcanic viewshafts be reclassified as “locally significant”.

• One Tree Hill from College Rd
• Rangitoto from St Heliers Bay Rd
• Mt Wellington from West Tamaki Rd

Mediation with other submitters on volcanic viewshafts and height sensitive areas will be held on 5 April. The council is required to attend the mediation along with any other submitters on the topic who want to attend.

As with all Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan issues being considered by the council at this point in the hearings process, the council is not making any final decisions.

The Auckland Development Committee is being asked by staff to consider the position the council should take into mediation sessions.

Final decisions will not be made until the council receives the Panel’s recommendations in July this year.

ENDS

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