Big steps forward for Urban Growth Agenda

August - September 2020 Big steps forward for Urban Growth Agenda

The infrastructure industry has gone through a blizzard of policy change, with five key bills landing in the final two weeks of the current parliamentary term

The Government’s Urthe Crown to accelerate growth areas it creates ing repeal of the Resource ban Growth Agenda the provision of infrastrucintensification (notably Management Act. was designed to ture in areas where the allowing buildings up to The Randerson panel address the fundamentals local council is unwilling six stories within walking recommends replacing the of land supply, development or unable to provide the distance of rapid transit RMA with a Natural & Built capacity and enabling infranecessary pipes, roads and stops), removes car parking Environment Act and a structure. The five pillars of community infrastructure to requirements and for all Strategic Planning Act, with focus are: enable land to be released councils it requires plana critical change being the 1. Infrastructure funding for housing and businesses. ning changes to respond to move away from a negative and financing; The National Policy Te Tiriti of Waitangi, housfocus on ‘effects’ towards 2. Urban planning; Statement on Urban Deing affordability, community a more positive planning 3. Spatial planning; velopment (2020) requires amenity and wellbeing and approach aiming to achieve 4. Transport pricing; and councils (especially growth a pro-development stance. broader wellbeing out5. Legislative reform. councils) to provide much Tony Randerson QC, comes.

The Infrastructure Fundmore dynamic capacity for led an independent panel Randerson also recoming & Financing Bill enables urban growth. which has recommended mends the creation of a developers to work with In our larger/higher sweeping reforms, includsepearte Managed Re

treat and Climate Change Adaptation Act, reflecting the need for a separate Act to recognise the complex, national level issues.

Randerson strongly supports the concept of regional spatial planning, suggesting collapse of over 100 policy statements and plans into just 14 integrated combined plans.

Spatial plans would assume much greater weight than the consenting process, flipping the focus from localised and individual decision making into one where regional and national strategic aims, embedded into spatial plans with the support of iwi, community, local and central government, would support broader outcomes and clearer, quicker decision making.

The Randerson Review is a massive (and positive) change which we expect will be a 2020 election issue.

Pillar four, transport pricing, unfortunately has not progressed through to a bill. Many advocacy groups and some political parties are calling for progress in the next term – this is a critical issue to assist with decarbonising our economy, optimising use of existing assets and optimising the transport/land use mix for our country.

The Urban Development Act has granted Kainga Ora – Homes & Communities sweeping powers to alter urban areas.

If Kainga Ora designates a ‘Specified Development Project’ (a defined area of land anywhere in New Zealand, following a designation process) it will have the power to modify RMA plans, to consent those plans, to build change and move infrastructure, to use the Public Works Act to acquire land and to use tools like targeted rates to levy charges against any infrastructure it builds. These powers are common overseas, but this is a first for New Zealand.

Lastly, the Three Waters Reform Programme proposes sweeping reforms to consolidate our 67 water providers ultimately into four or five water providers of much greater scale. The provision of clean drinking water and access to both

wastewater & stormwater services is critical to enable urban growth, amenity and public health.

Effective, integrated implementation of these reforms has the potential to radically reform the way our urban centres operate, creating better transport and land use integration, higher quality urban environments, better housing affordability and sustainable economic growth. Paul Blair Chief Executive Infrastructure New Zealand