Portfolio Report: Heritage and Planning (originally presented early August 2020)

I keep track of resource consent applications for buildings, structures, and tree pruning and
removal as they are received by Council, requesting further information, plans and
Assessments of Environmental Effects for applications of interest. Significant applications
are referred to the relevant residents’ associations for their input which I then relay to
planners as part of the Local Board’s input. I particularly keep a look out for tree removals,
helicopter pad requests, digital billboards facing residential buildings, impact on heritage
buildings and place and more than minor breaches of the unitary plan. The Waitemata Local
Board recognises the amenity value of trees and has adopted the Nga Here Urban Forest
Strategy. Where it is possible to keep trees we advocate for them. Sometimes trees may be
removed for the building of transport and energy infrastructure that locks in lower carbon
emissions in the future. Where trees are removed our position is that there should be more
trees planted than are lost. Good urban design and spatial planning can make a huge
difference to the quality of a neighbourhood. Considering new developments through a
climate change lens is also necessary. The council has committed to halving emissions by
2030 which will impact decision-making across all departments.

National Policy Statement on Urban Development

This policy has been gazetted to high growth cities across the country and demand that
councils remove barriers to development in metropolitan town centres and areas in easy
access to them by walking or frequent transit. This means that a council cannot limit building
up to six stories, nor can they mandate parking minimums. There is some heritage protection
but it cannot apply to a whole area, only to the land itself. The council has 18 months to
remove parking minimums and two years to fulfil all the demands of the request. It is unclear exactly what walking distance is. Council has used 800m in some circumstances, 1500
metres in others. Either way most of Waitemata’s heritage areas of Parnell, Freeman’s Bay
and Ponsonby would be affected by the scheme. It is possible that developers may prefer to
build up to three storeys because then no lifts are required. It is likely that by opening up
land to development then land values will go up, as will rates. This will incentivise
development on large sections, as a family looking for a house to live in would be unlikely to
be able to afford to buy it, while a developer hoping to build ten units could. Their customers
would probably pay what the original owner had ten years ago. While this may mean that
selling up will mean a profit to owners, it may also mean smaller homes in the future. This
density of living may bring the benefits of European cities of more customers meaning more
services. We may spend less on our home and more time eating out for example like in
Spain or Paris or the Far East. More places will be in walking distance. Our homes will be
cheaper to run.

My only concern really is access to play for children and seniors. Madrid and Paris when
they intensified their cities put in a lot of neighbourhood parks, many within squares, to which
the young and old could gain access without crossing any roads. Copenhagen is also full of
courtyard developments where small children can play. More modern city councils, like
Vancouver in Canada, and Freiburg in Germany have also regulated to allow that mid and
high-density developments allow children safe and independent access to a variety of play
spaces within new developments. It is important to advocate while increasing density that we
ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable are met otherwise we are just increasing
access to the city of one group while denying it to another. Richard Northey and I will make a
case for this at the Governing Body workshop.

Resource Consents (of interest)

3 Prosford Street Ponsonby Auckland 1011
LUC60358391
Additions and alterations to the existing two-storey building to create a five-storey mixed use
building, comprising office, food and beverage and commercial floor space. This is exactly
the sort of densification that will drive more traffic and vibrancy in Ponsonby.

2 Mountain Road Epsom Auckland 1023
DIS60359141
LUC60359140
The construction of a residential apartment building containing 61 residential units. This is
quite an exciting development with flats of a decent size, a lot of green and bicycle storage.

729 Great North Road Grey Lynn Auckland 1021
LUC60359273
The construction of a 52 unit visitor accommodation is right next to Western Springs and will
be a great offer for people coming up for a concert and to enjoy all the attractions on the
doorstep. The windows all face the park so any noise should head that way too.