NZ Urban Development news from the media | 7 July 2020 | Auckland Unitary Plan – Drury East Private Plan ChangeRequests

Auckland Unitary Plan – Drury East Private Plan Change
Requests 

The Auckland Council Planning Committee has accepted the private plan changes request in Drury East.

Three private plan change requests to the Auckland Unitary Plan have been lodged by Kiwi Property No. 2 Ltd., Fulton Hogan Land Development and Oyster Capital that collectively seek to rezone approximately 330 hectares of land in the Drury East area from Future Urban to a mix of residential, business and open space zones. See Figure 1 for the proposed zoning pattern. Combined, the plan changes would provide capacity for up to 6,500 dwellings and over 5,000 jobs.

https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2020/07/PLA_20200702_AGN_9605_AT.PDF

Four new projects announced as part of the biggest ever national school rebuild programme

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced significant funding for Auckland’s Northcote College as part of the first wave of a new nationwide school redevelopment programme to upgrade schools over the next 10 years.

The $48.5 million project brings the total investment in Northcote College to $60 million since 2018. The additional funding will be used to refurbish two of Northcote College’s heritage buildings, and relocate a third to a better location on the site. A new gym will be built, and 20 ageing classrooms rebuilt or upgraded.

he other school redevelopments announced are:

• Extending an existing redevelopment project at Wanaka’s Mt Aspiring College to replace poor condition relocatable classrooms, and better configure the site to accommodate future growth - $33.5 million (plus $13 million announced by this government in 2017). Construction is expected to start in early 2021.
• A rebuild of Twizel Area School, replacing existing relocatable classrooms that are up to 49 years old and in poor condition - $21 million. Design work to start early 2021, and
• Rightsizing Spotswood College in Taranaki, and replacing poor condition classrooms - $23 million. Design work starts from the middle of 2021.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/four-new-projects-announced-part-biggest-ever-national-school-rebuild-programme

New investment creates over 2000 jobs to clean up waterways

A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced.

The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme to halt degradation of the Kaipara harbour receiving $100 million. 

The projects are funded from the $1.1 billion Jobs for Nature package in the 2020 Budget that will create a total of 11,000 environment jobs in our regions in response to Covid-19. $433 million of that fund has been allocated to regional environmental projects such as these.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-investment-creates-over-2000-jobs-clean-waterways

New $60m hotel to open in post-coronavirus Queenstown

A new $60 million hotel is opening in Queenstown, despite a massive drop in the number of tourists to the resort.

The 227-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites Queenstown opens on July 10, part way through the school holidays.

It comes at a time when many Queenstown hotels remain closed due to the Covid-19 border restrictions that have prevented international arrivals.

General manager Jason Sabin said that like other hotels and tourism operators ,the company considered different scenarios as New Zealand left lock down.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/121936104/new-60m-hotel-to-open-in-postcoronavirus-queenstown

Fast-track consenting law boosts jobs and economic recovery

The law to boost the economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 by speeding up resource consenting on selected projects has passed its second and third readings in the House.

“Accelerating nationwide projects and activities by government, iwi and the private sector will help deliver faster economic recovery and more jobs as well as address New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit,” Environment Minister David Parker said.

The COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill supports and accelerates the Government’s investment in infrastructure, environment and development projects while maintaining environmental and Treaty safeguards.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fast-track-consenting-law-boosts-jobs-and-economic-recovery