Guide to providing feedback on the draft Unitary Plan

Auckland Council is currently seeking feedback on the draft Unitary Plan – the key tool to implement the Auckland Plan. It is the planning rule book that will eventually replace the current district plans.

Last year Grey Lynn 2030 called a public meeting to discuss how to best protect the special character of Grey Lynn out of which the Grey Lynn Environment Group (GLUE) was formed with the aim of advocating for urban design that promotes healthy and sustainable communities.

GLUE was one of the stakeholder groups that provided early feedback last year to the Waitemata Local Board to inform their input into the development of the draft Unitary Plan.

The GLUE group is now drafting feedback on behalf of Grey Lynn 2030 and encouraging all Grey Lynners to have their say before 31 May.  What is proposed by Auckland Council is in draft so feedback to improve the plan is essential before it is notified later this year. Once the plan is notified the statutory process under the RMA starts.

Some of the key areas to consider:

1. Aim of the Unitary Plan- the Unitary Plan must achieve the vision of the Auckland Plan for a quality compact city. Do the rules and zoning controls provide for sustainable and less carbon intensive development?

2. Intensification – how are we going to achieve further density in Grey Lynn while protecting the suburb’s special character?

3. Heritage protection – are the proposed provisions strong enough to protect heritage?

4. Managing parking- does best practice for parking mean doing away with minimum and maximum parking requirements ?

5. Sustainable design -how is this going to be acheived

6. Affordable housing – what tools are going to acheive the development of more affordable housing?

7. Environmental protection

8. Walkability

In providing your feedback consider what you do support as well as what you would like changed.  Grey Lynn 2030’s draft feedback will be available shortly

Other group in Grey Lynn are also looking at the draft plan and providing feedback.

Grey Lynn Residents Association

Grey Lynn Business Association

Arch Hill Residents (fighting the Bunnings proposal on Great North Road for big box retail in a location zone for mixed use )

Other resources

Green’s Auckland Unitary Plan submission guide

Environmental Defense Society workshop notes

GE- Free New Zealand submission