Latest news with #AucklandUnitaryPlan
The Spinoff
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Protest or court? The war against private helipads plots its next move
After a four-year process, a controversial helicopter landing site at the Westmere home of rich-listers Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams has been approved. What does that mean for their neighbours and the rest of Auckland? On a dark and stormy Thursday night last week, more than 100 people gathered at the Hawke Sea Scout Hall in Westmere. Outside, over the tempestuous waters of Coxs Bay, the multimillion-dollar property at 38 Rawene Ave sat on its little outcrop, with a flat grassed area between the swimming pool and mature pōhutukawa finally allowed to have up to two helicopter flights take off and land in a day, up to 10 in a month, after a four-year long consenting process. The people in the hall were not happy, despite the colourful bunting and the lovely mural of the Hauraki Gulf islands on the wall. They were there because, like 1,227 (of 1,397) written submissions made to council, they do not want toy billionaire Anna Mowbray and former All Black Ali Williams flying helicopters in and out of their home. By 7pm, the crowd, decked out in Kathmandu raincoats and woollen beanies, were seated and silently waiting for the public meeting called by Quiet Sky Waitematā to begin. According to records from Auckland Council, the Mowbray-Williams helicopter pad is the 106th consented private helicopter landing site in Auckland. It's the first in Westmere and there are four in the neighbouring Herne Bay suburb. Waiheke Island boasts the most by far with 64 (and two more in progress) and next up is Aotea Great Barrier with 10. Others are scattered – two in Dairy Flat, one in Papatoetoe, one in Clevedon, etc. Residents of the leafy, wealthy coastal suburbs in the area – Westmere, Herne Bay and Ponsonby – have battled against private helicopter use for years. Similar squabbles have broken out in 2017, 2022 and 2023. The fight against the Mowbray-Williams helipad did not start on Thursday – in fact, Quiet Sky Waitematā says it has already fundraised and spent over $100,000 on the battle, including commissioning reports and research from an ecologist, a planner, an acoustic expert and a lawyer. They have fought on the grounds of noise, downwash (the air that helicopters push downwards) and dotterels. Auckland Council did not initially approve the Mowbray-Williams resource consent application when it was made in 2021. However, it was appealed and then a panel of three independent hearing commissioners overturned the decision, despite a 356-page report prepared by council planners saying the helipad would adversely affect ecological values, trees, character, amenity and recreational activities. The panel used ' discretion ' as it considered the degree of non-compliance with the Auckland Unitary Plan to be 'marginal'. During the hearing, the Mowbray-Williams lawyer argued that a helicopter was no different to a car or a bike and therefore should be a restricted discretionary activity, not a non-complying one. It seems the commissioners agreed as they concluded a private helicopter was a 'permitted activity' that was 'inherently associated with residential land use'. It is this last ruling that Elena Keith, the Rawene Ave resident, secretary and public face of Quiet Sky Waitematā opened the public meeting with. For the group, it's an opening of the rotor downwash gates. Why? According to Keith, until now council planners have considered private helicopter use to be a non-complying activity. She said this new interpretation would mean future applications for private helicopter landing sites would no longer be publicly notified. Instead, it would be up to neighbours to prove the helicopter doesn't meet noise standards once it was already coming and going, she said. Other considerations around the environment would be blown away. Keith was succinct and sombre – she was keen to keep the meeting to an hour, and there were four more speakers and a Q&A to follow. The speaker who most animated the slowly warming crowd was Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick, who started with, 'This is really stupid! … This is a waste of all of our time!' Bums were on the edges of seats and breaths were held. 'The law radically needs to change.' Phewf. Apparently, if the Greens had had their way in 2022 when the transport committee was making updates to some plan or other, private helicopter use would have been nipped in the bud, since it's bad for communities and bad for the environment. Unfortunately, Labour's Kieran McAnulty, associate minister of transport at the time, didn't incorporate the Greens' notes. Apart from the Greens being right if only people would listen and follow, the slow pace of the whole council consenting process was 'utterly deranged' and 'not democracy', said Swarbrick. The crowd liked this. Next up was Mike Lee, councillor for Waitematā and Gulf. Already Lee has tried to ban private helipads in residential areas in the city, Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier through a notice of motion made in the council. Lee proposed to redefine private helipads within residential zones as prohibited activities, underpinned by Section 87A (6) of the Resource Management Act (1991). The Aotea, Waitematā and Waiheke local boards were in full support. However, Auckland Council chief of strategy Megan Tyler advised councillors that the cost of doing work on the ban could run into tens of thousands of dollars and divert resources and attention from the council's existing work plan. After more than two hours of debate in March last year, the notion was voted down 10-8 (mayor Wayne Brown voted against). On Thursday last week, Lee promised to keep fighting for 'the right of homeowners, property owners for the peaceful enjoyment of their homes and properties, which they pay so much rates for'. This week, he will move another, similar notice of motion to ban private helicopter landing pads. So what are the 100 people warming up the sea scout hall on a rainy evening to do? That was the subject of the half-hour long Q&A, or perhaps C&A, as comments vastly outnumbered questions. Their first weapons will be emails to councillors, requesting that they support Lee's notice of motion. Though Quiet Sky has set up a one-click link to email all 21 councillors at once, a woman wanted to know who would be best to target because when she emailed Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa councillor Julie Fairey, the response was 'a large amount of waffle that was terribly hard to understand'. Which of the 10 who voted against the previous motion were most likely to be persuaded? It was a question Lee didn't quite answer. A man stood up to ask if the people making decisions had the 'brains of chocolate fish'. There were also a few radicals in the group. 'How about organising a protest in front of the council office?' proposed one. The couple in front of me looked at each other and smiled excitedly. Someone suggested the protest be outside 38 Rawene Ave instead. The fact came up that in Paris private helipads are banned (or at least heavily restricted). Swarbrick did not miss the opportunity to say, 'the French know how to protest'. For Elena Keith of Quiet Sky, the battle for peace and quiet on her street is about stopping an 'open season' of helipads all around Auckland without neighbours getting any say. The group is eyeing up an appeal to the Environment Court. But there's a problem – Keith thinks it would cost at least $150,000 and even more if the appeal was lost. And even though she lives where she lives, her group is 'not very well off'. By 8pm the meeting had been wrapped up with a karakia and people headed out into the wind and puddles that surrounded the bay. Somewhere behind pōhutukawa trees and double-glazed glass, Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams were probably looking out over that same moving sea.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
City Vision Opposes Helipads In Residential Areas
City Vision does not support private helipads in residential areas – the impacts on direct neighbours and wider neighbourhoods are too great. Julie Fairey, Councillor for Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa, and our team in Waitematā, are appalled that the consent for the new helipad in Rawene Avenue, Westmere has been granted in the face of council and community opposition. 'It was disappointing, and surprising, to see independent commissioners approve the new helipad in Westmere. Although it's outside my ward the noise travels to Pt Chevalier so has an impact on my constituents and I attended Helen White MP's meeting with Quiet Sky Waitematā in November. The discussion about the effects on neighbours and the environment were very concerning' says Fairey. 'It seems absurd commissioners equated the noise from a helicopter with that of a motorbike or a bus (assumedly diesel and we are phasing those out!).' City Vision is focused on working towards an enduring solution for the community on the broader issue of helipads in residential areas of Auckland, as well as identifying how to best support those who wish to oppose the specific approval given for the Westmere site. City Vision member on the Waitematā Local Board Alex Bonham has been working on this issue for some time, including presenting at the hearing to oppose the granting of the consent for Rawene Avenue. 'The impact of noise pollution on a growing urban population and all waterfront users is a problem that will only get worse' says Bonham. 'Impacts on neighbours and users of the beaches and coastline include rotor wash (down draught) and distressing noise. The environmental impacts on beaches, the foreshore and coastal bird habitats are irreversible. Once granted, helicopter consents in perpetuity will permanently destroy peaceful neighbourhoods, waterfronts and biodiverse habitats.' Bonham and Fairey have supported work already underway to tighten rules for helicopter use in residential areas, including a current plan change for operations in the Hauraki Gulf. Waitemata & Gulf ward candidate for City Vision, Patrick Reynolds, shares these concerns. 'City Vision will work to do what is necessary to fix the Auckland Unitary Plan during next year's review, working alongside the community and interested parties to protect residential areas and the environment' says Reynolds. City Vision representatives, including Bonham and Reynolds, will be at Quiet Sky Waitematā Public Meeting on Thursday 10th July at 7pm at Hawke Sea Scout Hall, 55 West End Road.
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland councillor determined to ban residential helipads
An Auckland councillor is on a mission to ground helicopters taking off and landing in residential areas for good. It follows multi millionaire Auckland couple, entrepreneur Anna Mowbray and former All Black Ali Williams recently getting approval for a helipad at their waterfront Westmere home. Three independent commissioners approved the resource consent application with some concessions, including a maximum of two flights day and 10 flights per month between the hours of 7am and 10pm. They concluded as per previous decisions; the use of helicopters in residential areas is a permitted activity under Auckland Unitary Plan. But one councillor wants these rules amended. Councillor Mike Lee spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
NZ Herald
04-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Auckland housing supply improves, 100,000 homes built in seven years
His report comes as the Government directs the council to allow buildings of at least 15 storeys near train stations close to the City Rail Link, and a wider intensification blueprint is being drawn up by the council. Blick said the median price for a house in Auckland was now about $1 million, or 7.5 times the median household income. In 2000, houses cost about five times the median household income. 'If we still had a multiple of five, the median house price would be $680,000, not $1m,' Blick said. New townhouses have been springing up across Auckland since the Auckland Unitary Plan came in. Photo / Michael Craig The report shows the housing boom 'hasn't happened by chance'. It was the result of more flexible planning rules in the Unitary Plan that came into effect in late 2016. What's more, Blick said, the vast majority of consented homes had been built. The practice of single homes being replaced with terraced housing or apartments on the same piece of land meant that about 89% of new homes were net additions to Auckland's housing stock. The shift towards terraced houses and apartments reflected budget constraints and people's preference for living closer to jobs, schools, public transport and other amenities. Council research into the projected supply and demand for housing over 30 years found the Unitary Plan had the capacity for 900,000 homes, of which 650,000 were commercially viable. A breakdown of the 100,000 new homes built over seven years showed numbers climbed from 10,200 in 2018 to a peak of 18,100 in 2023, driven by strong demand and falling interest rates. Blick said people took on more debt, money flooded into the housing market, pushing up prices, and developers built a lot more houses. Auckland Council chief economist Gary Blick says the focus should remain on building new houses close to town centres and major transport infrastructure. By 2021, he said, inflation got away, interest rates rose steeply and dampened people's demand and ability to take on debt. Consents eased to 14,000 last year, albeit still higher than pre-Unitary Plan levels. 'We do get fluctuations across the economic cycle… new homes took off like a rocket and then they cooled down a bit,' he said. Looking ahead, Blick said the focus should remain on building new houses close to town centres and major transport infrastructure, such as the City Rail Link, but he acknowledged some people wanted to live on the city fringes. The council and the Government have agreed on a new planning blueprint for the city, allowing greater housing density near major transport routes. The council has already signed off on more density in the central city and has until October 10 to finalise a plan across the wider city. As part of the negotiations, Housing Minister Chris Bishop has allowed the council to opt out of the previous Government's directive allowing three dwellings of up to three storeys on most sites in Auckland. Your first home should not be your dream home Natasha Thirani is close to buying her first home. Photo / Jason Dorday Natasha Thirani and her husband Vivek, both 32, are close to buying their first home. Mt Eden, where they rent an apartment, is a dream location, but it is too expensive for their budget of $850,000 for a townhouse with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage and a bit of outdoor space. They have been looking at properties at The Glade, a masterplanned community in Mt Wellington, but it's a little beyond their budget and has the added cost of body corporate fees. Natasha felt it was the best time to get into the housing market, with interest rates falling from 7% to about 4% and plenty of houses to choose from. However, the experience could be nerve-racking and there were many pros and cons, she said. Her advice for other first-time buyers was not to max out their home loan. 'If you're looking to buy your first car, you don't go for a Ferrari or a Porsche. It's the same when you are buying your first home. It is important you buy it as a first home and not a dream home,' she said. Asked if the Unitary Plan was doing a good job and about the Government's directive for greater intensification, Mayor Wayne Brown said the city's population was set to grow by more than 250,000 over the next decade, more than the population of Wellington City. 'I've heard from a heap of developers who're up for this growth and are prepared to deliver it. They've told us they're on board to provide it in the right places. 'We don't want growth just anywhere, but we certainly still need more of it. It will be focused where we have invested the most because that's what makes sense,' the mayor said. Blick said there were trade-offs with the Government's directive for greater housing density, saying change could be difficult at times, but the city must be mindful of housing becoming less affordable over time, especially for younger people. There is a shift towards townhouses and apartments, and living close to transport and other amenities, says Gary Blick. Auckland's long-running housing crisis appears to have turned a corner on the supply side with the city's largest real estate company, Barfoot & Thompson, reporting a glut of 6083 unsold homes at the end of May this year, nearly double the figure of 3013 in May 2016. Managing director Peter Thompson said in April this year: 'Buyer choice remains at an all-time high… through a combination of new builds reaching the market and existing properties.' A survey of real estate agents by economist Tony Alexander this year found that FOMO (fear of missing out) has been replaced with FOOP (fear of overpaying), and that buyers were conscious of house prices falling after they purchased. Derek Handley is the founder of Aera, a company specialising in helping first-home buyers from start to finish, including financial advice, mortgage brokerage and finding a newly built home. He said right now, there was a lot of housing available in Auckland, and he could take a young couple and show them five houses across five neighbourhoods in an afternoon. Auckland did not have a housing crisis, said Handley, it had a mindset crisis where people thought they couldn't afford a home. He said a couple, aged about 30, could combine their KiwiSaver balances for a deposit on a new townhouse, costing between $600,000 and $650,000. 'It's a hell of a lot more achievable than what people have been telling themselves over the last X number of years, and it may have something to do with there are so many more brand new homes available,' Handley said. Auckland councillor Richard Hills says many people, especially younger people, find themselves locked out of buying a house. Photo / Dean Purcell Councillor Richard Hills, who chairs the policy and planning committee, said it was great to see progress on the housing front over the past eight years, with many new homes closer to transport and jobs, and options for people at different stages of their lives. Hills said this did not mean all the housing issues were fixed. There was an increase in homelessness across the city, rents were still too expensive for some, and many people, especially younger people, were finding themselves locked out of the dream of purchasing a home as the median house price was about 7.5 times the median household income, far more than 20 or 30 years ago. Hills said data showed Auckland needed at least 300,000 homes for future residents over the next 30 years, and the sensible place was close to transport corridors and hubs such as rail stations. 'Aucklanders have invested in projects like the City Rail Link, so it makes sense for more people to have good access to it,' Hills said. The final word goes to Blick: 'Auckland's housing story isn't perfect, but it is a tale of improvement.' Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
01-07-2025
- General
- 1News
'Just monstrous': Giant Buddha statue causes a stir with rural community
A 16-metre Buddha statue is set to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of a small rural community in Waiwera Valley. Residents of the area, about 50km north of central Auckland, said they weren't consulted about the sculpture – and because the council considered it art, no resource consent was needed. While the statue is currently still under construction, it will soon tower over the Waiwera Valley hilltop, much to the dismay of some neighbouring residents. 'The size is just... that's monstrous for a valley like this,' said Waiwera Valley Action Group spokesperson David Pennington. The structure is a representation of Buddhist master Guru Rinpoche, and belongs to Jeta's Grove Charitable Trust. ADVERTISEMENT 1News requested an interview with the group but did not hear back. Pennington argued the statue is going to be 'very visible from all the properties around here'. 'It's going to be bright gold which just doesn't make sense in a rural environment.' A 16-metre-tall Buddha statue is under construction in Waiwera Valley, 50km north of central Auckland. (Source: Supplied) Residents only learned of the building plans in recent months. After raising concerns with the council, they were told the piece had been accepted as artwork under the Auckland Unitary Plan. 'It's a faithful replication of, apparently, an image of Guru Rinpoche. To my mind, that describes a religious instalment. It doesn't describe art,' Pennington said. In a statement, the council said artwork is permitted in rural zones without a consent as long as it complies with other controls, which the statue does. ADVERTISEMENT However, if the structure is used as a site of worship, a resource consent would be required. The council also said it is currently investigating reports of gatherings at the site, after footage of what appeared to be a Buddhist ceremony was captured by a resident. A possible gathering at the construction site of a Buddhist statue in Waiwera Valley. (Source: Supplied) Pennington said concerns around possible gatherings was also raised with the council. 'Their response was 'they are allowed six such events per year'," he said. The Waiwera Valley Action Group urged the council to stop the build and request a public hearing. 'There's a hole in the council planning bylaws which allows people within a rural production area to call something art and therefore be allowed to proceed with it without notification to the public and to my mind, that's just wrong.'
