Latest news with #UnitaryPlan
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Warning On End Of Auckland's Alcohol Licence Freeze
Auckland's local alcohol policy (LAP) is fast becoming outdated according to one legal expert. The LAP, which outlines the location, amount, and trading hours for alcohol businesses in the region, was implemented last September. Drafted in 2013, it took 10 years to get it approved after it was tied up in legal battles. Dr Grant Hewison, a lawyer who works with Community Against Alcohol Harm (CAAH) in south Auckland, was concerned that parts of the LAP was losing its relevance, today. Presenting to the Safety and Regulatory Committee of the Auckland Council this week, Hewison warned that a raft of new liquor licenses could be on the way. "The temporary freeze in the priority overlay areas will stop next year." Hewison added that assuming there would remain a high bar to new licenses may not be a robust enough position. "My concern is that that may not be sufficient to really address the ongoing proliferation that we're still seeing outside of those priority overlay areas in parts of the region," he said. The LAP came into effect in two stages - the first change was September 16, 2024 which included a two-year freeze on new off-licences in the central city and 23 other suburbs with the highest alcohol-related harm. He urged the committee to consider reviewing the LAP, before the two-year freeze lapsed. "The freeze will end in 2026 so you have a small window of opportunity looking to extend it. "I really encourage you to take some advice from your officers and have a briefing on how this temporary freeze operates, and the consequences of it being lifted." He also urged council to look into protecting neighbourhood centres better, in what he called was a 'technical error' in the LAP. According to the LAP, there was a rebbutable presumption for off-licence outlets in neighbourhood centres. Neighbourhood centres are commercial centres within residential areas. "Unfortunately, the drafting of the neighbourhood centre in the LAP links it to the Unitary Plan, as notified in 2013." He said the LAP only protected neighbourhood centres that existed in 2013 under the Unitary Plan. "Since then, we've had developments of paddocks and fields ... new neighbourhood centres that aren't protected by the LAP." He said the the consequence of that was that the District Licensing Committee recently approved three new liquor outlets in new neighbourhood centres. "I don't think the community and yourselves ever intended that the LAP only protected neighbourhood centres as they were in 2013." He pleaded for council not to wait for six years to review the LAP, but to act sooner. "I think its urgent, and there is provision under section 95 of the Act to make amendments to a LAP to correct what is essentially a minor technical error." Hewison said a lot of work went into the drafting of the LAP, but it was now relatively an older document.
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Scoop
Council Approves Local Contractors To Protect Kumeū From Flooding
Press Release – Auckland Council Auckland Council has approved the use of locally based contractors to carry out essential flood maintenance across the Kumeū district—marking a major win for the community following sustained public advocacy. 'This is great news for the Kumeu,' says Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers. 'The community asked for better care of the Kumeū River and the local stormwater systems to protect the town from flooding—and Council has listened.' Earlier this year, large-scale flood prevention options such as constructing a dam or building a tunnel to the Waitematā Harbour were ruled out as unaffordable and impractical. In their place, Council is now focused on more immediate, high-impact measures—including unclogging culverts, clearing swales, removing river debris, and repairing storm-damaged infrastructure such as stop banks. Importantly, the work will be delivered by contractors based in Kumeū, Huapai, Taupaki, Waimauku, and Riverhead, who bring local knowledge and pride to the job. 'Local contractors know the land and the flood-prone spots better than anyone,' says Sayers. 'They're better placed to deliver value for money and a higher quality of service.' The tender process will open late this month and be advertised on the GETS (Government Electronic Tender Service) tendering platform and in local newspapers. Work is expected to begin in November 2025. Contractors will need to demonstrate experience in flood resilience work and meet Auckland Council criteria. Council will also pre-arrange any required earthworks consents. Councillor Sayers cautions that no flood protection system is perfect. 'If more than 100mm of rain falls within seven hours, the Kumeū River will breach its stop banks and flooding will still occur,' he says. 'But this maintenance work will help to delay such breaches and improves drainage for the surrounding areas during heavy rain events.' Finally, Councillor Sayers is also urging both central and local government to halt new residential developments on known floodplains. 'Right now, the law still allows consents if buildings are 'engineered' to be safe. That's not good enough when it can still put lives at risk,' he says. Council is pushing for a change to the Unitary Plan to allow consents on floodplains to be declined without triggering legal challenges. However, this change depends on the Government's upcoming Resource Management Act reforms, expected before the 2026 general election. 'Proactive river maintenance is a positive step toward a locally-led, common-sense approach to flood resilience,' says Sayers. 'It shows that when the community speaks, and the Council listens, real progress can be made.'
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Scoop
Council Approves Local Contractors To Protect Kumeū From Flooding
Auckland Council has approved the use of locally based contractors to carry out essential flood maintenance across the Kumeū district—marking a major win for the community following sustained public advocacy. 'This is great news for the Kumeu,' says Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers. 'The community asked for better care of the Kumeū River and the local stormwater systems to protect the town from flooding—and Council has listened.' Earlier this year, large-scale flood prevention options such as constructing a dam or building a tunnel to the Waitematā Harbour were ruled out as unaffordable and impractical. In their place, Council is now focused on more immediate, high-impact measures—including unclogging culverts, clearing swales, removing river debris, and repairing storm-damaged infrastructure such as stop banks. Importantly, the work will be delivered by contractors based in Kumeū, Huapai, Taupaki, Waimauku, and Riverhead, who bring local knowledge and pride to the job. 'Local contractors know the land and the flood-prone spots better than anyone,' says Sayers. 'They're better placed to deliver value for money and a higher quality of service.' The tender process will open late this month and be advertised on the GETS (Government Electronic Tender Service) tendering platform and in local newspapers. Work is expected to begin in November 2025. Contractors will need to demonstrate experience in flood resilience work and meet Auckland Council criteria. Council will also pre-arrange any required earthworks consents. Councillor Sayers cautions that no flood protection system is perfect. 'If more than 100mm of rain falls within seven hours, the Kumeū River will breach its stop banks and flooding will still occur,' he says. 'But this maintenance work will help to delay such breaches and improves drainage for the surrounding areas during heavy rain events.' Finally, Councillor Sayers is also urging both central and local government to halt new residential developments on known floodplains. 'Right now, the law still allows consents if buildings are 'engineered' to be safe. That's not good enough when it can still put lives at risk,' he says. Council is pushing for a change to the Unitary Plan to allow consents on floodplains to be declined without triggering legal challenges. However, this change depends on the Government's upcoming Resource Management Act reforms, expected before the 2026 general election. 'Proactive river maintenance is a positive step toward a locally-led, common-sense approach to flood resilience,' says Sayers. 'It shows that when the community speaks, and the Council listens, real progress can be made.'
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.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
John Gillon Standing For Auckland Council 2025
John Gillon is excited to announce that he is standing as an independent for one of the North Shore Ward Councillor positions of Auckland Council. 'As an Auckland Councillor, I will put community first and fight for the North Shore.' 'I'm positive and passionate about our North Shore community. I was born on the North Shore and have lived here most of my life. I'm pleased to have received the support and encouragement of many people from across the North Shore to stand for Auckland Council this election.' 'I have a proven track record of supporting local communities and want to represent the whole of the North Shore at the Governing Body table.' John has been Chair of the Kaipātiki Local Board for the last eight years, with a total of 18 years governance experience on various boards. At the last election, John led the Shore Action team to victory, winning all eight seats of the Kaipātiki Local Board – the first time since the 1980s that one team has won all seats on a North Shore local body. 'During my time on the local board, I've helped thousands of people with local issues and kept the community informed about council projects and plans. I'm proud to have secured funding for upgrading our bush walks and made many of them step-free; upgraded playgrounds and installed shade sails to protect our tamariki; supported significant investment into environmental protection, pest-free initiatives, community development, sports, events, and more.' John has also represented the community at hearings on inappropriate developments that breach Unitary Plan zoning rules and where infrastructure is lacking. 'I am concerned that every week Auckland Council receives over 100 applications to breach Unitary Plan rules with many of these being approved, and without consulting neighbours. The Unitary Plan is due to be reviewed from 2026, and it's imperative for the North Shore to have a strong voice at the council table to rein in its excesses and close loopholes. I believe that Council must enforce the zoning rules and ensure that development only occurs where there is adequate supporting infrastructure, and absolutely not in flood zones. Council must also increase consultation.' Like many residents, John was shocked at the extent of the flooding in the 2023 storms, which severely impacted many parts of the North Shore, most notably the Wairau catchment. 'In Milford, Wairau Valley and elsewhere, overburdened stormwater infrastructure has failed to protect homes and businesses, and two people died. Council must act quickly to address the deficiencies in stormwater infrastructure across the North Shore. There needs to be more funding invested in preventative maintenance, including keeping channels clear and cleaning out roadside catchpits of debris, many of which are only checked twice a year.' Like many people, John is sick of the traffic on our roads, however proposed congestion charges are not the answer. 'The North Shore will be adversely affected by any charge on congestion, as there are limited alternatives to get across Auckland from the North Shore. The last thing that local residents need is to be taxed for using Lake Road, Onewa Road or the motorway to get to and from work or school on time. There is no guarantee that this tax will be used to improve public transport, and simply imposing another tax will not alleviate congestion. I don't support congestion charges being foisted on North Shore drivers and families.' John is also very concerned about the reduction in funding for North Shore local boards over the next ten years under the Mayor's purported 'Fairer Funding' regime. 'Devonport-Takapuna Local Board's budget is set to be gutted, and the Kaipātiki Local Board's budget is to be capped. This will not only mean less investment into North Shore communities, but over the coming years, our public assets like playgrounds, libraries, leisure centres and parks - that generations of North Shore residents have invested in - may be run-down, closed or sold, despite North Shore ratepayers paying over $200 million per year in rates. This is unacceptable.' John Gillon will be providing more views and solutions to these issues. The Auckland Council election is being held by postal vote. Papers will be delivered between 9 and 22 September. The election date is 11 October 2025.
