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A big turnout in Dairy Flat leant weight to the views of rural residents on Council’s draft Urban Land Supply Strategy.
The Dairy Flat, Silverdale and Wainui communities turned out in force to have their say on Auckland Council’s proposal to hold off on providing bulk infrastructure and developing the area until 2032 at the earliest (HM August 5).
Council’s draft Future Urban Land Supply Strategy says that 25,000–30,000 dwellings could be built in currently rural parts of Silverdale, Dairy Flat and Wainui, but that the need to put bulk infrastructure in place first makes development there unlikely until 2032-36.
More than 150 people gathered in Dairy Flat School’s gymnasium on August 10 to hear about the draft strategy direct from Council planners and staff as well as Councillors and members of the Rodney Local Board.
It was the largest group that Council has seen at the public meetings on this proposal – and while it was sleeting outside, temperatures, and voices, were raised at times with residents making their views clear in no uncertain terms.
It soon became clear that the majority were there to tell Council that 17–20 years is too long to wait.
Many were angry at the suggestion that areas that include Pukekohe, Kumeu and Warkworth should be developed sooner, in the 2022–26 period, at an estimated infrastructure cost of $7.1 billion, while this area’s projected infrastructure cost is far lower at $3.8 billion.
“It makes absolutely no sense to develop those other places first when this area is closer to the centre of Auckland, has a motorway interchange right there and has areas such as Millwater on its doorstep,” one resident said.
Many expressed the view that infrastructure and development of the Dairy Flat land zoned for employment in the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan is needed now.
Dairy Flat resident Brian Sutton is among those wanting to see this area brought forward in the strategy. He says he finds it astonishing that the development potential of an area of mainly flat land so close to a motorway interchange has only just been recognised by Council planners.
He says that farmers in the area struggle, even on large properties, as the soil is relatively unproductive. Urban development of the land would allow them to subdivide or sell up and move on, although some are concerned at potential rate rises if the zoning changes to residential in the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.
Mr Sutton says any cost/benefit analysis, based on Council’s own figures, shows that developing Silverdale, Wainui and Dairy Flat is a far more economical use of ratepayers’ money than the Auckland South and Warkworth areas.
“Council’s thinking on this just doesn’t make sense, and I wonder what’s behind it,” he says. “There was a clear message that went out at this meeting and I hope Council will hear it and make changes to their plan.”
Auckland Transport project director key agency initiatives Theunis van Schalkwyk mentioned building the Penlink Road as key to the plan and this had a polarising effect, with some demanding to know why it hadn’t already been built and others asking why the costly project was still on the books at all.
Other concerns raised by residents included the importance of balancing intensification and growth with the need to create towns that were attractive to live in and whether urban development was appropriate with the Redvale landfill close at hand.
Submissions on the draft closed this week, on August 17. A hearing panel will summarise the feedback and make recommendations on changes with the final document to be adopted by Council in October.
