Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan & Draft Annual Plan
Auckland Council have recently released a "Shaping a Business Friendly City” guide which puts the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan into context from a business-friendly perspective. Shaping a Business Friendly Auckland has been developed together with the Employers and Manufacturers’ Association and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.
The guide spells out what the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan does to support longer-term economic growth has been released to help businesses understand and submit on the rules that will affect them the most.
It identifies strong centres, new business land and better transport links as essential for Auckland's growth.Economic growth is a major part of Auckland’s vision to become the world’s most liveable city. The Unitary Plan, as the rulebook that will shape how Auckland grows, has an important role to play in enabling that growth. The plan proposes more consistent planning rules across Auckland, providing businesses and developers with greater certainty as well as smarter digital tools that are faster to use.
The report also highlights the range of ways that creating a more compact, vibrant, efficient and attractive Auckland can enable economic growth, such as:
- Productivity and innovation driven by clustering and agglomeration
- A place where talented young people choose to stay, live and work
- Hubs that make public transport and other infrastructure investment more viable
- Coordinated infrastructure investment to support areas of growth
- Safeguarding environment and heritage as part of Auckland’s point of difference in the world
- Safeguarding existing business land and opening up new areas
- Businesses closer or more accessible to their customers and employees
- Transport links that help supply chain efficiency
- Centres and business areas that attract new and continued investment
Submissions on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan are open until 28 February 2014. The council is urging businesses to have their say on the parts of the plan they support as well as those they want to change.
The report is available on the council website here
Draft Annual Plan 2014/2015
The draft annual plan sets Auckland Council’s proposed budget for the next financial year (1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015) and their planned investments, services and activities to improve Auckland’s liveability and support growth. A 2.4 per cent average rates increase for the 2014/2015 will enable to deliver what is proposed in the plan. We’ve pulled out a few key items from the Plan that is directly relevant to the City Centre.
The Key priorities identified for 2014/2015 include:
- The completion of key public space upgrades including Federal Street, O’Connell Street, Freyberg Square, Wynyard Quarter and Westhaven Marina
- The redevelopment of Pioneer Women’s Hall
- Progressing the City Rail Loop (CRL) project
- Funding secured for Q Theatre, and the restoration and protection of the St James Theatre
Read more about the draft annual plan or make your submission here.
