Auckland's Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse is urging the public to have their say on the draft Unitary Plan, and says she never expected anything less than "robust debate and passionate views" on the plan.
The draft plan has been open for feedback since being released in mid-March. The opportunity to give feedback ends next Friday, May 31.
“We are undertaking the largest planning process in New Zealand's history, creating a rulebook that will guide Auckland and how it grows over the next 30 years.
“I never expected anything less than robust debate and passionate views on this plan and it is great to be getting so much feedback. This is exactly why it was released as a draft – so everyone would have the chance to be involved before the more formal step of notification. We wanted to consult and listen and change the plan to ensure we develop the best plan possible.
“With a week left to go in this period of informal engagement, I want to remind Aucklanders that the purpose of engaging on a “draft” draft plan is so we can change and adjust things according to feedback. We have always said we will reshape the plan and we will,” Hulse said.
She said so far about 3000 individual pieces of feedback had been received, 11,000 people had attended the Unitary Plan events, and more than 70,000 people had visited the council’s Unitary Plan website, shapeauckland.co.nz.
“The plan is large and deals with some complex issues. A lot of people have never gone through a district plan before and are not aware of what the current rules say.
“If people have specific questions or need help using the plan, please call Council on 09 3010101 so our team can help. There is misinformation out there so we encourage you to contact us if you have queries on rules, overlays, zones or using the maps.
“I have attended many events since the launch and have heard from thousands of Aucklanders, passionate about where they live and about the future of their communities and their city. I have reassured Aucklanders that we can hear their concerns and will listen.
“We will be going through all of the feedback in June and July to see where changes need to be made.”
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