Archive for the 'Resource Consents' Category

St Lukes, the debate

stephen November 25th, 2010

Here is the link to Bob Dey’s summary on the new Auckland Council’s debate and approval of the change to the district plan which would allow Westfield to expand St Lukes. http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=15241&SID=554981993. Links to previous stories can be found there too.

Thanks to the 5 Auckland Councillors who voted against this.

We have been trying to get this infrastructural situation recognised for many years now. However this latest setback clearly means that even when the problem is acknowledged by council. it makes no difference to the Commissioners or to the Council decision. We look forward to your support as we continue to try to protect Meola Creek and get Watercare Services and Council to take some responsibility for protection.

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change – Update October 2010

stephen November 25th, 2010

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change – Update October 2010 (Apologies for this being historical now)

Following the plan change hearings in June 2010, a draft planners report was produced. The report link is http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/councilmeetings/20100923_1800/CNCL%2D23092010%2DOPN%2DAGD%2D%2312.pdf

The independent Commissioners for Auckland City recommended in the final weeks of Auckland City existence that the plan change to facilitate the St Lukes expansion should go ahead. STEPS had made a comprehensive submission on the impacts on Meola Creek, and we presented at the hearings. As reported in an earlier Blog, we supported the peer review done by Council officers in respect of water issues. One reason we appeared is that it has been made clear to us at Resource consent time that our only hope for being heard is by influencing the plan. The Commissioners report appeared to rely on the evidence from the developer.

See pages 62-64 in the decision for 1 page on water and lava forest. As we read it:

- Stormwater will all be worked out at the appropriate time. Despite the contradictory evidence – Westfield engineer is happy with soakage. And the commissioners agreed.

- Waste water effects will be no more than minor and anyway though the situation is unsatisfactory, this is beyond the control of the applicant so it would NOT BE REASONABLE FOR A PLAN CHANGE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LACK OF AN INTERCEPTOR.

STEPS asks Who would need sewerage infrastructure to increase peak waste water flows by 8 times?

We were pleasantly surprised at the final AC COUncil meeting on 23 September that the council deferred a decision.

STEPS believes that St Lukes Community Association were key to achieving this deferral – see press release at:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1009/S00306/st-lukes-community-applauds-mayoral-leadership.htm

Reporter Bob Dey reported on it as follows:

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=14964&SID=351783881

Later the Auckland City Council wisely decided to leave the decision for the new council – see

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=15078&SID=407944042

STEPS is hopeful that the new City COuncil will pay more attention to the very real infrastructure issues faced by the St Lukes area and will consider the interests of local residents when they review this plan change.

Westfield St Lukes expansion decision delayed

stephen October 31st, 2010

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change – Update October 2010

Following the plan change hearings in June 2010, a draft planners report was produced. The report link is http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/councilmeetings/20100923_1800/CNCL%2D23092010%2DOPN%2DAGD%2D%2312.pdf

The independent Commissioners for Auckland City recommended in the final weeks of Auckland City existence that the plan change to facilitate the St Lukes expansion should go ahead. STEPS had made a comprehensive submission on the impacts on Meola Creek, and we presented at the hearings. As reported in an earlier Blog, we supported the peer review done by Council officers in respect of water issues. One reason we appeared is that it has been made clear to us at Resource consent time that our only hope for being heard is by influencing the plan. The Commissioners report appeared to rely on the evidence from the developer.

See pages 62-64 in the decision for 1 page on water and lava forest. As we read it:

- Stormwater will all be worked out at the appropriate time. Despite the contradictory evidence – Westfield engineer is happy with soakage. And the commissioners agreed.

- Waste water effects will be no more than minor and anyway though the situation is unsatisfactory, this is beyond the control of the applicant so it would NOT BE REASONABLE FOR A PLAN CHANGE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LACK OF AN INTERCEPTOR.

STEPS asks Who would need sewerage infrastructure to increase peak waste water flows by 8 times?

We were pleasantly surprised at the final Auckland City Council meeting on 23 September that the council deferred a decision.

STEPS believes that St Lukes Community Association were key to achieving this deferral – see press release at:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1009/S00306/st-lukes-community-applauds-mayoral-leadership.htm

Reporter Bob Dey reported on it as follows:

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=14964&SID=351783881

Later the Auckland City Council wisely decided to leave the decision for the new council – see

http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=15078&SID=407944042

STEPS is hopeful that the new City Council will pay more attention to the very real infrastructure issues faced by the St Lukes area and will consider the interests of local residents when they review this plan change.

Westfield St Lukes Plan Change Hearings

stephen June 27th, 2010

Update: Further to STEPS submission regarding the lack of waste and storm water infrastructure at http://www.meolacreek.org.nz/2009/07/23/steps-submission-on-westfield-st-lukes-plan-change/ Roy Clements, Pat Prescott and Liz Walker appeared at the hearings on 22 June 2010.

Our presentation is linked  click here (3Mb pdf), including pictures of the 1 June storm which covered the board walk with storm and waste water overflow. STEPS was very interested to discover that the Environment Court had made a ruling in December 2009 declaring St Lukes a town centre, with input from ARC and ACC and despite lack of infrastructure.   All hearings submissions and evidence have been scanned by the council and placed here (click on Agenda Attachments) http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/hearings/a201006140930.asp

STEPS Presentation to Auckland City Development Committee

stephen August 3rd, 2009

On 9 July STEPS made a presentation to the Development Committee on significant water issues such as Westfield, St Lukes, plan change, and Winstones plans to fill the Three Kings quarry pit.

Here is the presentation. Presentation Development Committee-0907

Minutes are at http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/committeemeetings/city/m20090709.asp. The city will follow up on progress regarding the Watercare Services sewer interceptor upgrade.


STEPS SUBMISSION ON WESTFIELD ST LUKES PLAN CHANGE

stephen July 23rd, 2009

STEPS opposed this plan change on a number of grounds as attached. A summary of all submissions is now available on the council site above.  Anyone can now make a further submission in support of STEPS or other submissions until 31 July 2009.
STEPS submission can be read here.

Changes to Meola, Three Kings, and Western Springs Aquifer

stephen July 23rd, 2009

The large aquifer underlying Meola and Oakley Catchments has at least three names as above. The different names make clear the large extent of the clean water – a “buried treasure” of Auckland City.
As part of their Quarrying operation, Winstones are pumping out water from the top of the aquifer under Meola Creek – and into Manukau Harbour through the stormwater system. STEPS believes this has a direct impact on Meola Creek’s low base flow.

The report prepared for Winstone Aggregates by Tonkin and Taylor Ltd 8 July 2008 p1 “At its current depth (quarry base at RL34, with quarry rim at RL60-RL80 approx), resources are being extracted from below regional groundwater level. Groundwater within the quarry is depressed to below the quarry floor by pumping from a well within the quarry property.“

2009 photo - water is normally maintained at 34 RSL

2009 photo - water is normally maintained at 34 RSL

1998 photo - water is approx 2 metres above water table

1998 photo - water is approx 2 metres above water table (56 RSL)

These pictures give some idea of the amount of water which is removed in order to achieve this.
In May 2009 Winstones applied for a resource consent to fill the hole with “clean fill”.   The Three Kings United group (whose link is on this site) have monitored and researched this situation for many years. They are asking for truck  movements to be limited, and for the pit to be lined with impermeable surface to prevent leaching into the aquifer.

All technical documents are on Winstones’ own site http://www.winstoneaggregates.co.nz/DMS/Three_Kings_Quarry.php?id=40

Westfield seeks Private Plan Change for St Lukes Mall expansion

meolacreek May 5th, 2009

St Lukes Mall is less than 200 metres from Meola Creek, Lyon Ave.
Here is a typical flood occurring several times a year – where the Watercare Services Edendale branch sewer overflows at Lyon Ave, and pours a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek, and over the grounds of adjacent schools.
a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek

a torrent of stormwater (including pollutants and sewage from combined sewers) into Meola Creek

This week, Westfield notified a private plan change.
From initial reading of the documents we conclude that :
  • Westfield wants to change the zoning of many residential 6a and 7b properties to business 8
  • they plan an expansion of an extra 23000 sq meters beyond their shopping mall of 35800 sq meters + carpark of 26000 sq m
  • the mall development will occur over an additional 49000 sq m (carpark plus existing residential properties)
  • they are planning for a FIVE (5) fold increase in consumption of water; and emission of  waste water and a TEN (10) fold increase in storm water – both peak and average flows
  • the existing northern carpark constructed in 2003 …appears to have inadequate stormwater disposal capacity as of now
  • Watercare Services advised that the existing Edendale Branch sewer has adequate capacity to receive the additional waste water
  • no additional stormwater would be permitted to discharge into the sewer
  • excess stormwater from the site would be directed on to adjacent road reserves…to continue along the natural course downstream of the shopping centre [ie into Meola Creek at Lyon Ave as above]
(Reference Report prepared for Westfield NZ Ltd by Tonkin and Taylor Ltd 18 November 2008)
STEPS believes:
  1. Auckland City Council should not issue approvals for extremely large scale developments such as this, in an area where their own reports frequently point out the lack of capacity of the stormwater and waste water infrastructure
  2. We challenge Watercare Services statements about adequate capacity – when we all know that waste water and stormwater overflow here many times a year
  3. Most New Zealanders will find it hard to understand that NZ’s largest city accepts this situation where raw sewage frequently flows through public parks and school grounds, and heavy metal pollutants pour into Waitemata Harbour beside [heritage protected] Te Tokaroa/ Meola Reef.
  4. It is even hard to understand how Westfield and the planners of Auckland City Council have worked for several years to develop a proposal which once again ignores the unacceptable reality of these overflows through the heart of the Mt Albert electorate.
  5. ARC, Auckland City and Watercare services need to make it a priority to upgrade the Watercare Interceptor to stop these overflows
NOTE: We understand that approval of this Private Plan change would mean that they need not seek resource consents in future, providing they comply with Business 8. We also understand that there are proposed RMA changes which would prevent private plan changes. This probably increases the urgency of the approval of the plan change for Westfield – as without it they would have to seek resource consents in future.
Any comments on or updates to the above are welcome.

Scientists views on Housing NZ development plans on Meola Creek

Liz October 13th, 2008

Hort Research also has an active environmental network. The attached letter was received from some  individuals within that community, and was presented at the  AC Resource Consent Hearings.

Re hnzc Haverstock Road development

Hearings for Resource Consent for Haverstock Road Housing NZ Development

Freddie September 8th, 2008

In a previous post regarding the proposed Housing NZ development in Haverstock Road, Sandringham, we commented that it has been proposed to replace the 19 existing units with 41 units.

Among other issues, there is a proposal to move part of Meola Creek that runs behind the existing units and this has received approval from the ARC as it is no longer classified as a ‘creek’ because it is piped.

STEPS made a submission on this development and the moving of the creek, which can be downloaded here…submission_steps-08-haverstock-v1

The hearings regarding this development and all submissions are being held from September 10-12, 2008, and STEPS will be making a presentation. We will keep you updated.

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