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After a process that included a hearing before an independent commissioner, resource consent has been granted to construct seven townhouses on a residential site at 8 Moenui Avenue, Ōrewa.
The 1156sqm site currently has a single house on it and is on a floodplain in the Residential – Terraced Housing and Apartment Building zone.
The development proposed by property owner Eight Moenui Ltd (sole director William Hewitt of Ōrewa) aligns with the increased intensity of development anticipated by the Residential – Terrace Housing and Apartment Buildings zone, and in that sense should have been fairly straightforward. It was not publicly notified.
However, it went to a hearing because Auckland Council staff recommended it be declined, raising concerns about the potential impact of flooding on the property and surrounding area.
As well as being affected by an overland flow path and potential coastal inundation, a small strip of the eastern boundary was of particular concern to planners in relation to coastal inundation and the effects of sea level rise.
The decision by duty commissioner Dr Lee Beattie, released on April 30, says he granted the application, subject to a number of conditions, as engineers representing the applicant, council and Auckland Transport were able to reach “general agreement over the flooding assessment information”.
As a result, the decision states that “the development of the site will minimise or avoid risks from flood hazards to some of the surrounding properties, including part of Moenui Avenue, to a level which is considered acceptable”.
Of course 8 Moenui Avenue is far from being alone in that Ōrewa floodplain and while it is not in Council’s power to deny consent simply because a proposed development is in a floodplain, resource consent requirements related to flood risk are being strengthened.
In the 8 Moenui Avenue Hearing Report, under the heading ‘Environmental Risk’, it is noted that: “Auckland’s growth will increase pressure to develop areas more susceptible to natural hazards. There may be conflict between where people want to live and where they can live safely, particularly in some coastal areas… How the region manages land use in response to climate change will determine the resilience of Auckland’s economy, environment, and communities in the future.” (Auckland Unitary Plan, Natural Hazards and Climate Change).
Auckland-wide planning manager, Phill Reid, says work is currently underway on a change to the Auckland Unitary Plan.
“We’re looking at the controls that can be strengthened so council is in a better position when assessing the flood risk of applications for new developments,” Reid says. He says the goal is that new builds become more resilient, and that Aucklanders better understand risks associated with development or property purchases.
There will be public input to those proposed Unitary Plan changes.
The 8 Moenui Avenue decision can be found at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/hearings/find-hearing/Pages/resource-consent-hearing-documents.aspx?HearingId=454
Back story, January 15, 2024
