So, last Friday the 15th I went along to the Wynyard Quarter to see the launch of the draft Auckland Unitary Plan. On the way in, a couple of diversions. First -- a 100% electric car (or so it says on the side). Quite a cool look to it.
Just inside the convention centre's foyer -- a model (which looked old. My guess is 1971 centenary) showing the central city in 1939.
St Patrick's Cathedral in the centre ...
Views towards Albert Park ...
Downtown, close to the wharves. The triangle bottom left was where the Harbour Board's memorial was to have been ...
All in all -- I loved this model. Now, if someone could do likewise for today's streetscapes, and have them side by side ...
Flags of all the Local Boards ...
Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, then ...
... the Mayor himself espousing the virues of the Plan. Good backdrop of the city's reflection in the windows, I thought.
This shot was taken around 3pm, when many of the hundreds swarming the exhibition had left, so it doesn't really do justice to how packed the event was.
But early on, there was Bug Guy.
I still don't know why Bug Guy was there, or what he was promoting or highlighting, but -- he made for a colourful interlude.
There were stalls there from the various departments of Council, but -- I liked the Rural one best. They couldn't bring in a live cow, so they made do with gumboots, sacks of potatoes, some produce, greenery, and funky chooks.
Errm...there's a Cyberman there! Whoops I mean Bugman. Great post Lisa loved the photo!
ReplyDeleteDid you like that plan? I've seen some discussion about it, people are confused , so how intelligent does one have to be to understand it?
ReplyDelete(Here's my comment on it so far from my Facebook wall:)
ReplyDeleteEvery so often, I take a look at the mammoth effort and product that is the Auckland Council draft Unitary Plan. On the "me, me, me!" side, I'm not too worried -- my quarter acre is in a mixed-housing zone (always has been). Got two-storey houses (one giving me a less than pleasant wall-effect view, but the old Auckland City Council allowed it anyway) now, so what the heck.
But this pre-1944 demolition protection thing -- my impression at the moment is that it is a crock. Where I live has been placed in a pre-1944 demolition protection zone (which, near as I can tell, doesn't really offer any more protection than any other zone, in real terms). My house dates from 1970-1971 (I know, because I was alive and watched it being built). No houses which share common boundaries with mine date from pre-1944. Yet, parts of Rosebank which did have houses pre 1940, as seen on aerials, aren't in that zone. Nor is most of Williamson Ave in Grey Lynn, especially the southern side -- that's surprising, as I'm sure I've seen villas, rows of them, along that street ... It seems that whoever drew up that part of the planning overlays relied on broad historic development patterns, instead of available aerial survey information. A great pity, and something which will make it that much more of an uphill battle when it comes to having local heritage landmarks recognised.
The plan itself online is unwieldly, difficult to navigate, and the search function is rubbish.
So far, my confidence rating for the Unitary Plan is somewhere are about 5.5 out of 10. Whether it drops or rises from that, only time will tell.
(I've heard from others who are having a hard time determining anything from the plan. Labyrinthine doesn't quite describe it. Good that they've given us 'till 31 May for submissions -- we'll need that long to work it all out.)
Such a bummer I missed the launch. We've been trying to discuss various bits of the plan more so we can make some meaningful submissions. Sounds like a day full of many things to look at!
ReplyDeleteIt's a complex beastie. Somehow I have to fit wrangling with it to do a submission on top of everything else happening, like work. Going to be a busy next few weeks!
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