Source: Auckland Council
Headline: Committee considers plan changes and tree protection in Auckland
Today’s Planning Committee approved plan changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan and discussed how Auckland Council manages and protects trees in Auckland.
Members of the public addressed the committee on specific transport proposals and on tree protection in Auckland (item 12) together with local board presentations.
The following is a digest of decisions made. 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.
Items 1-8 were administrative items except for Petitions (item 4), Public Input (item 5) and Local Board input (item 6).
David Roos, representing the City Centre Residents Group, spoke to a petition presented to the committee requesting safer pedestrian facilities for the Victoria Quarter. The petition was referred to Auckland Council’s Development Programme Office and Auckland Transport for consideration.
There were three items of public input. Christine Rose and Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association spoke about the trains to Haupai campaign. The committee requested a report from Auckland Transport through the 10-year Budget process.
Olric Thomas from Changda International Limited spoke to item 9 and Dr. Mels Barton of the Tree Council spoke to item 12.
Under Local Board input, Peter Haynes, Chair of the Eden-Albert Local Board, and Saffron Toms, Deputy Chair of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, spoke separately to item 12. Lisa Whyte, Chair of the Upper Harbour Local Board, spoke in support of the Hobsonville Corridor Plan Change (item 10).
Item 9: Vesting of Land on a Closed Landfill at West Hoe Heights, Orewa
The committee declined a request from Changda International New Zealand Limited, residential developers of the West Hoe Heights Special Housing Area, to vest in council three lots of land on a closed landfill at 207 West Hoe Heights.
Item 10: Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) – Hobsonville Corridor Plan Change
The committee approved of publicly notifying a proposed plan change to the Auckland Unitary Plan for road alignments, a future arterial and to introduce stormwater controls and standards and assessment criteria for buildings and development along Hobsonville Road and next to Hobsonville Primary School.
These changes seek to improve the transport network, stormwater and built form outcomes within Hobsonville Corridor.
Item 11: Request to make operative Plan Changes 1 and 2 to the Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in part)
Two plan changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan were made operative. These rezone Auckland Council owned land parcels that were surplus to requirements and have been cleared for sale and rezones a portion of Aotea Square from Open Space to City Centre Zone to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Civic Administration Building.
Item 12: Managing and protecting trees in Auckland
The committee noted the council’s current approach to managing and protecting trees in Auckland taking into account the council’s recently adopted Urban Forest Strategy.
The Auckland Unitary Plan provides regulatory tools and the Urban Forest Strategy is a comprehensive regulatory and non-regulatory approach to maintaining and enhancing trees and vegetation in Auckland’s urban area.
The committee also requested that options for managing, protecting and restoring trees and vegetation in Auckland and across New Zealand is discussed with the Government and Local Government New Zealand.
A further report will be made to the Environment and Community Committee with updated Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and resource consent data as part of the reporting on the Urban Forest Strategy by August 2018.
Item 13: Summary of Planning Committee information memos and briefings
A summary and provide a public record of memos or briefing papers that may have been distributed to committee members.