Category: resource management act
-
The Unitary Plan and the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act
The Independent Hearings Panel has released the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. How Council handles it from here will be interesting. The plan provides for levels of intensification well above those levels which caused near riots in the leafy suburbs recently. The removal of the pre 1944 overlay and the removal of a list of sites…
-
The trouble with the Government’s National Policy Statement proposal
Housing is raging as an issue right now. And the Government is feeling the heat. Ordinary kiwis are becoming upset that in the land of milk and honey more and more are without access to shelter, that most basic of human needs. The Government’s approach has varied. For a long time it refused to accept that there…
-
Government plans RMA power grab
The Government is proposing sweeping changes to the Resource Management Act. They had planned for even more radical change but the support parties refused to commit so the proposal to weaken the goal of environmental protection by merging sections 5 and 6 of the RMA was removed. The currently proposed changes include one which would give the relevant Minister…
-
The Unitary Plan problem
Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan has been in the news lately. Although I have some sympathy for Council’s position announced in December 2015 I think the process could and should have been handled better. Some historical context is important. As part of the amalgamation process the Government decided that the new Council should have a super duper new plan…
-
The plight of urban trees
Two recent news stories highlight the threats being faced by our urban forest. The world famous Paturoa Kauri has a new resident. Johno Smith decided to set up home in its branches after the chainsaws made an unexpected reappearance at the site. And in Margan Ave in New Lynn concerned members of the community chose…