News and events
Find out the latest Hearing's Panel news
Recommendations reports on Designations uploaded to Auckland Council website
Recommendations reports on Designations uploaded to the Auckland Council website on Wednesday 25 May 2016. View the recommendations on the Auckland Council website. For all enquiries, call Auckland Council on 09 301 0101 or email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
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Procedural Minute 14 available
The panel has released Procedural Minute #14 which can be found here. This is in relation to Framework plan provisions. Council's response to this will be placed on the website when it is received. We will alert you when this is available.
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More revised rezoning maps from Auckland Council updated today
Auckland Council has provided revised rezoning maps. We have uploaded them to our website today.
You can find ALL revised maps uploaded on the Hearings page under the Evidence tab for topic 081 and topic 081a GENERAL.
The map for the relevant zone is also uploaded under the Evidence tab for topics 081b to 081f.
If you have any trouble finding the maps, email info@aupihp.govt.nz or call 09 979 5566. Any questions relating to Auckland Council's evidence, email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
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Memorandum on Auckland Council resolution dated 24 February 2016
A memorandum has been filed by Auckland Council on Council's resolution dated 24 February 2016 on 'out of scope' residential zoning changes.
The memorandum is under the 'Documents' tab for topic 081 on our Hearings page.
If you have trouble locating the document, email info@aupihp.govt.nz or call 09 979 5566.
For any questions relating to this memorandum, email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
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Clarification on direction in relation to Auckland Council's preliminary position
The Chairperson has issued a clarification of the direction that was made available on 14 January 2016.
The document has been uploaded to the Hearings page on our website, under the 'Documents' tab for topics 080 and 081.
Please contact the IHP office on 09 979 5566 or email info@aupihp.govt if you have trouble locating the document.
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Hearing Procedure for site specific topics
The panel has released a statement on the hearing procedure for site specific topics. This can be found under the document tab for both topics 080 and 081.
Both topics can be viewed on the Hearings page.
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Auckland Council evidence for topic 081
Auckland Council has provided its evidence for topic 081 and this can be found on the Hearings page. The Council's evidence has been divided into sub-topics. To assist in locating the Council's evidence, there is an INDEX of evidence found under the Evidence tab of each sub-topic.
The preliminary maps Council released in December 2015 have been removed from the Council website and they are now incorporated into Council's evidence.
For further information on the maps, please email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Auckland Council preliminary rezoning maps no longer available to view on website
On Thursday 17 December 2015, Auckland Council released its preliminary position for the zoning maps for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. The maps, content and fact sheets were available to view at www.AucklandCouncil.govt.nz.
These maps are no longer available to view and have been removed as of Tuesday 26 January 2016.
Auckland Council is due to file evidence today for topic 081.
Maps will form part of Auckland Council's evidence and all documents will be uploaded to the AUPIHP website as soon as they are received by the IHP office.
For further information on the maps, please email unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Direction on Council's preliminary position Residential Rezoning
The Independent Hearing Panel chairperson has released a direction in relation to Auckland Council's preliminary position on residential rezoning and issues of scope and waivers for late submissions (see the 'read more' link). The documents referred to in the Direction can be found under the correspondence tab on the right hand side of the Our Process page.
Any enquiries can be directed to the Unitary Plan inbox at unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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Auckland Council has released its preliminary position for the zoning maps
Auckland Council has released its preliminary position for the zoning maps for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. The maps, content and fact sheets are be available on the Council Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan webpage (see the 'read more' link).
Any enquiries can be directed to the Unitary Plan inbox at unitaryplan@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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Make best use of your 10 minutes at the hearing
Each submitter has 10 minutes to present to the hearing panel.
Why is there a limit? The deadline for the Plan process, and the large number of submitters, means that there has to be a limit on hearing time and presentations. In certain circumstances, and on prior application, additional time can be granted.
Here's how to make the most of your 10 minutes:
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New panel members
Following the November 2015 amendment to the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Act, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Conservation have appointed three new members to the panel hearing submissions on the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.
These new members are Alan Watson, David Hill and Les Simmons. With extensive experience as independent hearing commissioners, and already well-acquainted with the Unitary Plan process through earlier involvement as mediators, the new members will boost the Panel's ability to deal with the site specific hearing topics in 2016. The new panel members will not be involved in hearing or deliberating on any matter where they were privy to confidential information during mediation.
Amendment bill
On 19 November Parliament passed a bill to amend the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Act. The changes enable a quorum of two rather than three panel members in a hearing, allow for the appointment of up to three additional panel members, confirm that the Panel can split and hold several hearings at the same time and appoint chairs for these hearings.
These changes will ensure that in 2016 the Panel is able to deal with the large number of submissions on specific properties, while still completing the hearings and presenting its recommendations to Auckland Council on 22 July.
Hearing procedure updated
To reflect the changes introduced by the amendment bill, the hearing Procedure document has been updated. You can view the updated version:
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Progress and preparing for the next stage
The Panel has made good progress with the hearings to date. The hearing programme for 2015 is now almost completed and over 60,000 of the 93,000 submission points have been heard.
The topics to be heard next year deal with over 20,000 points from around 5000 submitters relating to specific properties or sites, for example where the Rural Urban Boundary is applied, requests to change zoning and to amend or create precincts.
Timing is tight to hear these matters and complete the panel's recommendations for it to report to Auckland Council by the statutory deadline of 22 July, so the Panel has been looking at the best approach to these hearings to ensure they can be completed within the timeframe, while making sure submitters have a fair opportunity to have their say.
The 19 November amendment act gives the Panel and submitters more options. Smaller hearing panels, running concurrently on the same topic in a variety of locations, will provide more opportunity for lay submitters to have their say in a less intimidating environment and offer some choice about where they have their say.
The challenge with split panels, however, is ensuring consistency so the panel has agreed the following approach.
By the end of 2015, the panel will have agreed its likely directions on the matters heard and will have in place a framework for a consistent approach to individual sites. The panel members hearing the site specific topics will take this framework as their starting point to ensure a consistent approach by all panels across the various locations.
The full panel will hear the evidence provided by Auckland Council. Once the panels have split, all panel members will come together each Friday to review what has been heard by the split panels, deal with any matters on which panel members have disagreed and identify any changes needed to the overall approach or any implications for the topics already heard.
When the hearings have been completed the full panel will spend some weeks reviewing its recommendations across all the hearing topics to ensure its report to council presents a coherent and consistent plan that achieves the long term planning outcomes for Auckland.
How are the hearings progressing?
Hearings for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan continue to progress, with 79% of scheduled events now complete. Almost all the hearings on the regional and district parts of the plan are now complete and the prehearing process well underway for the site specific hearings in 2016.
The hearings early next year include zones and precincts, the Rural Urban Boundary and the mapping for special character and pre-1944.
If your submission is involved in the RUB and rezoning and precincts, check out the interim guidance released on how to best prepare for the hearing events.
Then keep your eyes open for 'What's New' on our home page as news and events are announced.
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How is the hearings programme progressing?
Hearings for the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan are moving along quickly, with overall 68% of scheduled events now complete.
Key dates are now available to the end of the scheduled hearing programme in April 2016, so the Independent Hearings Panel will be embarking on the final set of notifications to submitters about the remaining topics in the next month or so.
These will include zones and precincts, the Rural Urban Boundary and the Waitakere Ranges precinct. If your submission is involved in the RUB and rezoning and precincts, check out the interim guidance released (see 'read more') on how to best prepare for the hearing events.
Then keep your eyes open for What's New on our home page as news and events are announced.
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How is the hearings programme progressing?
The hearings on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan continue to make good progress. Earlier this year the hearings on the regional policy statement and regional coastal plan were completed. The hearing process for the regional and district plan sections of the plan is now 58% complete. Shortly the programme for the site specific hearing topics will be on the web. This will include zones and precincts, the RUB, the Waitakere Ranges precinct and the mapping for special character and pre 1944. Check What's new? on our home page after 15 July to see when these hearings will be held. The Panel expects to complete all the hearings by 30 April 2016 so it can make its recommendations to Auckland Council in July 2016.
For more information about the hearings on now, go to the hearings page.
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How is the hearings programme progressing?
The hearings on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan are making good progress. By the end of April 2015 the hearings had been completed for the regional policy statement and regional coastal plan. The hearing process for the regional and district plan sections was almost 40% complete. During June the Panel will be working with Council to confirm a hearing programme for the site specific hearing topics. These include zones and precincts, the RUB and designations. Check What's new? on our home page in July to see when these hearings will be held.
For more information about the hearings on now, go to the hearings page.
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