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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
WELLLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
What’s your view?
Comment online www.Wellington.govt.nz
Email annual.plan@wcc.govt.nz, or send your views to
Draft Annual Plan, Wellington City Council, PO Box 2199, Wellington.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT 17
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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
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18 URBAN DEVELOPMENT
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MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
We plan ahead so that Wellington
can develop without compromising
what makes the city special.
The appeal of a city, and the quality of life that it
provides, are directly related to its urban form and
design. A well planned city is attractive and should
be easy to get around. It has a distinctive character
and ‘feel’.
Wellington’s urban environment is shaped by its
landscape – the harbour, hills and rugged coast.
It’s compact, has a vibrant heart in the city centre/
waterfront area and has good access to transport.
But it will only hold on to these positive traits if
future development is carefully managed.
To preserve these things as the city grows takes
planning. Growth needs to occur in ways that
make efficient use of land and transport, and
don’t compromise the qualities that make
Wellington special.
In our urban planning work, we’re aiming for a city
that’s compact, liveable, sustainable, prosperous,
and retains a strong ‘sense of place’.
A key part of our planning work is
to focus growth in areas that cause
least harm and bring most benefit.
We develop policies and plans to encourage
high-quality urban development. This includes
plans for the ‘growth spine’ from the north through
the city to Newtown and Kilbirnie. We’re aiming to
cluster development around the key town/suburban
centres along this ‘spine’, in order to ensure the
city’s land is used wisely and its transport systems
are as efficient as possible. This vision will help
make the city more sustainable, as well as helping
us to preserve the character of other parts of the city.
Our urban planning work also includes:
• developing plans for areas of the city where most
growth is expected to occur in future
• a rolling review of the District Plan, which sets
out rules on land use, subdivision and building
in the city
• improving the way infill development is managed
(including using focus groups to gauge resident
perceptions of infill housing).
In 2008/09 we’ll continue to
explore options for growth and
change in key areas.
We’ll create an Urban Development Framework
for the Adelaide Road area between the Basin
Reserve and John Street. This will build on a
series of planning sessions that we’ll hold
with local businesses and residents, and will
guide development of the area over the next 10-20
years. As a predominately flat area close to the
CBD and arterial roads, the area has many of the
key ingredients to establish an urban village.
We’ll also continue our work on the Johnsonville
town centre plan and on the establishment of
a new neighbourhood centre for Churton Park.
For more information on these, visit our website
www.Wellington.govt.nz and click on ‘projects’.
URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY
Our targets for 2008/09 are:
• 89% (a 2% increase from our 2007/08
target) of residents surveyed agree the city is
developing in a way that takes in to account
its unique urban character and natural
environment
• 95% (unchanged) of the District Plan team’s
scheduled work programme is completed
on time
• no items listed in the District Plan are
demolished or removed
• develop a concept plan and implementation
framework for Adelaide Road, the third of the
three centres along the growth spine.
What it will cost
OPERATIONAL SPENDING
CAPITAL SPENDING
Activity
User charges and
other revenue
$000
Net expenditure / rates
funding requirement
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
1.1.1 Urban planning and
policy development
(12)
1,798
1,810
–
1.2.1 Smart growth
–
404
404
108
Total for 2008/09
(12)
2,202
2,214
108
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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
Buildings should be safe and
sustainable, and enhance the
city’s character.
All cities control building work according to the
provisions of the Building Act and codes. These
controls are necessary to protect public health
and safety, and to protect future users of land
and buildings. They’re also needed to protect
urban character, for example by providing height
restrictions for building in suburban areas, and
to preserve the city’s heritage.
Overall, we want the city to become more
sustainable, safe, and prosperous, and to retain
its compactness and unique ‘sense of place’.
Our building control work ensures
these objectives are met.
We assess building consent applications to ensure
proposed work will comply with the Building Code,
issue building consents, and monitor compliance.
In 2008/09 we’re proposing to
provide incentives for sustainable
building practices.
We are committed to dealing with climate
change and are proposing to provide incentives
to encourage greater use of energy-efficient design
and renewable energy technology in Wellington’s
buildings – things like solar water heating,
roof-mounted micro wind turbines and water
heat pump systems. Sustainable building solutions
will help reduce the city’s carbon emissions.
We’re proposing to provide grants (to offset the
cost of building consent fees) for residential
homeowners who install sustainable building
features in new or existing homes. A total grants
pool of $30,000 has been set aside for each of the
next three years – this equates to between 60-100
households each year.
BUILDING CONTROL AND FACILITATION
Our targets for 2008/09 are:
• 100% (unchanged from our 2007/08 target) of
building consents are issued within statutory
timeframes (20 working days)
• 100% (unchanged) of code compliance
certificates are issued within statutory
timeframes (20 working days after we are
advised by the owner that work is complete).
What it will cost
OPERATIONAL SPENDING
CAPITAL SPENDING
Activity
User charges and
other revenue
$000
Net expenditure / rates
funding requirement
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
1.4.2 Building control
and facilitation
(7,302)
4,158
11,460
–
Total for 2008/09
(7,302)
4,158
11,460
–
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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
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20 URBAN DEVELOPMENT
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Land development and
subdivisions should be sustainable
and in keeping with the city’s
character.
All cities control development work according to
the provisions of the Resource Management Act and
District Plan. These controls are necessary to ensure
resources are used sustainably, to protect public
health and safety, and to protect future users of
land and buildings. They’re also needed to protect
urban character and to preserve the city’s heritage,
for example the workers’ cottages and grand villas
from the early 1900s in suburbs like Mount Cook
and Thorndon.
Overall, we want the city to become more
sustainable, safe, and prosperous, and to retain its
compactness and unique ‘sense of place’.
We have controls in place to ensure
these objectives are met.
We assess resource consent applications against the
District Plan, issue resource consents, and monitor
compliance, to ensure land and other resources are
managed sustainably – each year, we consider more
than 1,200 resource consent applications.
In the coming year, we’re
proposing to put more resources
into ensuring that landowners
comply with resource consent
conditions.
We’re responsible for making sure that
developments in the city comply with resource
conditions. These can include height restrictions and
reducing noise or other nuisances that arise from
development and construction work and can impact
on neighbours.
The number of resource consents that need to be
monitored has increased and consent conditions
have also become more complex in line with
enhanced District Plan rules.
From 2008/09, we’re proposing to add to the
number of people we have to monitor compliance
with resource consent conditions. This work will be
funded through resource consent fees.
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL & FACILITATION
Our targets for 2008/09 are:
• 100% (unchanged from our 2007/08 target)
of non-notified resource consents are issued
within statutory timeframes (20 working days)
• 100% (unchanged) of applications for
certification of subdivision plans are processed
within statutory timeframes (10 working days).
What it will cost
OPERATIONAL SPENDING
CAPITAL SPENDING
Activity
User charges and
other revenue
$000
Net expenditure / rates
funding requirement
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
1.3.1 Development
control and facilitation
(2,562)
2,573
5,135
–
Total for 2008/09
(2,562)
2,573
5,135
–
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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
Older buildings add to the
city’s character.
Preserving them makes a difference to the city’s
appearance and to our sense of identity as
Wellingtonians. But looking after them is also
important for public safety. Wellington has four
major, active earthquake faults, and a number of
second-order faults. Older buildings, if not properly
looked after, can be earthquake risks.
We work with owners to ensure
older buildings are strengthened.
In line with our Earthquake-prone Buildings
Policy, this work includes identifying and assessing
earthquake-prone buildings, and can include
offering financial and property management
assistance, and/or requiring the owner to carry out
strengthening work.
We are also supporting a five-year research study on
the likely timing and impact of a major earthquake
on the city. We will use its findings to guide our
decisions about urban design.
We also work with property owners and others to
aid restoration of heritage buildings and assets (see
public spaces development).
We’re proposing to increase
resources for assessing
earthquake-prone buildings.
We began the process of identifying and assessing
the city’s earthquake-prone buildings in 2006/07.
At that stage, we expected to be able to assess
1,200 buildings a year. This work, which requires
structural engineers, has turned out to be more
complex and time-consuming than we had
expected, and only about 500 assessments a
year have been completed.
We’re proposing to increase our funding for this
project in 2008/09 by $130,000 and extend the life
of the project through to 2013/14 at a total cost of
$465,000 per year from 2009/10, so that all buildings
identified as needing assessment for earthquake risk
will be assessed.
EARTHQUAKE RISK MITIGATION
• 500 initial assessments and 200
reassessments of earthquake-prone
buildings are completed.
We will also monitor the number of resource
consents for addition to/alteration of heritage
buildings (listed in the District Plan).
What it will cost
OPERATIONAL SPENDING
CAPITAL SPENDING
Activity
User charges and
other revenue
$000
Net expenditure / rates
funding requirement
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
1.4.1 Earthquake risk
mitigation
–
584
584
–
Total for 2008/09
–
584
584
–
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WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL DRAFT ANNUAL PLAN 08/09
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We want Wellington to have
vibrant, liveable, high quality
public spaces.
Attractive, well-designed parks and public spaces
in the city and suburbs are crucial to people’s
enjoyment of the city. They encourage people to get
together, support shops and cafes, and make the
city more attractive for Wellingtonians and visitors
alike. They also provide important connections
between businesses, making the city a more
stimulating place to work.
The waterfront is a prime example of how well
designed public spaces can transform an area.
The waterfront is now the city’s heart – it’s a festival
venue, a place where people gather to relax, an
area of colour and charm. Sensitive development
of this area enhances people’s enjoyment of the
city and contributes to our sense of what makes
Wellington unique.
Heritage buildings – along with other heritage
assets such as monuments, historic trees
and archaeological sites – also add to the
city’s character.
Our overall aim is to make the city more liveable, to
retain this character, and enhance an even stronger
‘sense of place’ through continual improvement of
public areas.
To achieve this, we fund new parks
and street upgrades, and support
enhancement of the waterfront.
• We oversee development of the waterfront
and fund the waterfront enhancement
project (the implementation is managed by
a Council-controlled organisation, Wellington
Waterfront Ltd).
• We fund work to develop the street environments
and other public areas in the city and suburbs,
with the aim of making these areas safe, lively
and attractive.
• We provide grants to developers and others to
ensure that the restoration of heritage buildings
and assets contribute to the city’s character.
In 2008/09, we’ll upgrade Cobblestone Park
on Vivian St. This was agreed as part of our
long-term plan and will complement the new
pocket-park currently being constructed on the
north western end of Courtenay Place. We’ll also
continue to work alongside the Government on
the creation of Memorial Park adjacent to the
National War Memorial.
PUBLIC SPACES DEVELOPMENT
Our targets for 2008/09 are:
• 93% (1% increase from our 2007/08 target)
of residents surveyed agree that the central
city is lively and attractive
• 65% (unchanged) of residents surveyed
agree that their local suburban centre is
lively and attractive.
• 100% (unchanged) of scheduled public
space and centre development projects are
completed on time.
Performance targets for Positively Wellington
Waterfront are shown in the council-controlled
organisations section of this annual plan – see
the appendix.
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We’re proposing to add a final
piece to the enhancement of the
Cog Park area.
The Cog wheel was the main driving wheel at the
now closed Evans Bay patent slip. The slip – which
operated from 1871 to 1972 – was the main ship
maintenance facility in Wellington. The Cog wheel
represents an important part of Wellington’s
heritage and is an integral component of what is
thought to be the oldest remaining example of a
steam-powered engine in New Zealand.
We’re proposing to return the Cog wheel, provide a
context for its placement and upgrade the surrounds
to better reflect the history of the patent slip area.
This will include the addition of interpretation
panels telling stories about the area. The proposed
budget for this work is $122,000 of capital spending.
And to waive some resource
consent fees for heritage buildings.
Waiving resource consent fees for heritage buildings
acknowledges that these buildings add to the
city’s character and that there are extra conditions
imposed on the owner because of the heritage
nature of their building. The proposed budget is
$50,000 per year.
We’re also planning to continue
with our ‘flying squad’ to remove
graffiti from the city’s streetscapes.
Graffiti makes the city less attractive. Unless it is
removed quickly, it can lead to further property
damage and, ultimately, to other forms of street
crime. This is a problem Wellington takes seriously.
Last year, we established a ‘flying squad’ to
eliminate graffiti from public spaces and from
private property that faces public areas. The flying
squad was established on a one-year trial basis and
a full evaluation of the trial is due for completion in
June 2008. Findings from the evaluation will inform
how Council can most effectively deal with graffiti
and what level of funding is required in future
years. We have provisionally budgeted $225,000 for
2008/09, subject to the evaluation.
The budget for this proposal is provided for within
our ‘public health and safety’ activities.
What it will cost
OPERATIONAL SPENDING
CAPITAL SPENDING
Activity
User charges and
other revenue
$000
Net expenditure / rates
funding requirement
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
Expenditure
2008/09
$000
1.5.1 Waterfront
development
–
2,821
2,821
7,950
1.5.2 Public space and
centre developments
–
1,272
1,272
2,399
1.5.3 Heritage
development
–
658
658
–
Total for 2008/09
–
4,751
4,751
10,349