Forum to guide council's planning rules

Aucklanders will have a chance to discuss the planning rules that will shape the city, as a two-week online forum gets underway next week.

The forum is part of a series of engagements that Auckland Council is running as it develops the draft Unitary Plan – the rulebook that will help deliver the Auckland Plan and the vision to create the world’s most liveable city. The draft will go out for region-wide informal consultation from March to May next year.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says members of the 10,000-strong online People’s Panel – which is open for all Aucklanders to join – will be invited to join the forum, taking place from 24 October to 4 November.

“We have been developing the plan over the last 18 months, based on what over 15,000 Aucklanders told us they wanted in the Auckland Plan and with input from businesses, environmental and community organisations and other technical experts.

“Now we have some initial proposals that we want to get in front of the public and hear what they think about them.”

Local Boards started their engagement with stakeholders in September.

“Gathering people’s viewpoints and input is extremely important – that is how we can create the best possible Unitary Plan.  This innovative forum is one of the ways we are connecting with Aucklanders and forms part of the extensive engagement we are doing on the plan,” said Penny Hulse.

The forum will focus on three topics that will make up parts of the Unitary Plan, including:

Where we live: how we create more housing choice and more affordable homes
Where we work: how we enable businesses to develop and grow and ensure the plan connects more people to more jobs
What we value: how we protect our region’s environment, heritage and character

The Unitary Plan will replace the 12 existing district and regional plans, many of which are more than a decade old. Council is combining the best of those previous plans with the direction of the Auckland Plan to provide consistent, clear and simplified rules on what development can happen and where.

Earlier this week, the Government signalled it would back Auckland Council’s call to streamline the process of implementing the Unitary Plan.

All current People’s Panel members will be invited directly to take part in the online forum. Everyone else who wants to contribute can join at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/peoplespanel