Comment by Cameron Brewer, Tuesday, 3 September 2013: Together hundreds of determined Kohimarama locals, the Mayor, Orakei Local Board and I were able to dial back the planners’ proposal to go up much higher along Kohimarama beach. It was one of the key successes the Orakei Local Board and I had with our amendments that we tabled at the Auckland Plan Committee yesterday as it signed off zoning and height provisions in the draft Unitary Plan set for notification this month.
Setting the height at 10 metres along most of Kohimarama beach reflects the wish of over 700 locals who individually signed submissions and pushed back the Town Hall hard.
The agreed 10m height also actually better reflects the aspirations of the Auckland Plan where Kohimarama was deemed to be a neighbourhood centre. It will help preserve some world–class views many residents behind currently enjoy. This is great news for Tamaki Drive and in fact for all Aucklanders who treasure their waterfront.
Most St Heliers locals wanted the business area height in the town centre reduced to nine metres. That was always going to be a big ask given it’s currently zoned 12.5m. However what has been achieved is good news – that is a reduction of the proposed residential height and intensification on either side of the town centre, which will really soften the edges. The St Helier’s business area will also be contained to its current footprint.
The public outrage in the eastern suburbs a few months ago was largely over the prospect of the Mayor’s push for much more coastal high-rise and the subsequent loss of the sleepy seaside atmosphere. Not going so high on future residential developments along key parts of the waterfront at St Heliers and Kohimarama is not everything thing we wanted but also not a bad result.
This council made a commitment back in May to have another look at intensification in and around our coastal communities. These two decisions will help restore at least some faith in the democratic process.
Full credit to the Orakei Local Board for leading the charge, not to mention the local residents’ associations, groups like SOS St Heliers and the Kohimarama Neighbourhood Group, and many locals who sprang into action six months ago. Orakei Local Board chair Desley Simpson, deputy Mark Thomas and I gave our amendments and arguments the very best shot at this critical meeting and while we didn’t get most, the two concessions we did get were good ones for the Eastern Bays.
While there were successes with dialling back some waterfront residential intensification in St Heliers and Kohimarama, amendments that didn’t win sufficient support from most Auckland councillors included two that were aimed at reducing residential intensification in some parts of Ellerslie and Remuera.
Four amendments I also tabled to overthrow the planners proposals to increase town centre heights and instead endorse the locally-supported height limits for Mission Bay town centre (10 metres), St Heliers town centre (9 metres), Remuera town centre (12.5 metres) and Ellerslie town centre (10 metres). All four were lost, with Mission Bay and St Heliers only narrowly by nine votes to 10.
Pictured: Cameron Brewer, Chair Desley Simpson, MP for Maungakiekie Sam Lotu-Iiga.