Auckland plan places constraints on development

Now that we are into March, submissions to the Unitary Plan have closed. Some late submissions were sent in after closing date, which Council may determine can be accepted. A summary of submissions will now be prepared, and any member of the public can support or oppose any of the submissions that have been sent in. Council will determine the closing date for further submissions at the time that the summary is prepared.

The plan proposes some significant areas for urban development between Drury and the Southern boundary of Auckland. And some of these are being fast tracked by way of Special Housing Area provisions. Potentially however, the development areas are significantly constrained through a deficiency in suitable water, stormwater, and waste water infrastructure. The timeframes for upgrades of these systems do not appear to match the expectations for development that is being planned and signal some serious flaws in planning for the growth of the District. The three significant parties involved in this planning, Auckland Council, Central Government, and Watercare need to ensure that growth is planned in a sensible, programmed and sustainable way which provides certainty to its ratepayers and accurately identifies the extent and timeframes for development. To date the evidence suggests that this is not occurring.