Mt Wellington Quarry Development

4th August 2006

PRESS RELEASE

Environment Court Moves Mt Wellington Quarry Development Forward

The creation of a model, master planned urban community of some 2,600 dwellings, housing up to 6,000 people within the former Mt Wellington quarry boundary, took another step forward today.

Auckland City has published notification that the Environment Court has approved an application by the owner of the land, Landco, to continue with the process of rezoning the quarry floor for a mix of residential, open space and commercial use.

The Environment Court has granted the order to proceed within proposed Plan Change 7 under s293 of the Resource Management Act, as all the parties to the appeal - Landco, Auckland City and the Auckland Regional Council - support the application and the wider public is not prejudiced as the proposed plan will be publicly notified.

The 110-hectare project is the largest residential master planned community planned within Auckland city’s boundaries, and is only eight kilometres from the city centre.

Within documents Landco submitted to the Environment Court, the company stated that the community will meet residents’ needs for housing, work, recreation and leisure locally.

The documentation specifies the creation of a town centre adjacent to the new Auckland Netball Centre, a primary school, a mixture of conventional homes, townhouses and terrace housing, with significant provision of open space surrounding a three lake system, neighbourhood parks and a heritage trail within the site.

Landco’s Structure Plan for the site was developed in co-operation with Auckland City over a four year period and is consistent with the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy and other regional planning documents. Of the total 110 hectare site, a significant portion will be public open space or occupied by the school and town centre.
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Landco’s General Manager Land Developments, Andrew Stringer, said that the plan had been developed by a team of highly qualified urban planners, engineers and property professionals using the latest urban design thinking from New Zealand and around the world.

“We have submitted a plan that goes well beyond the concept of simply a new, conventional suburb. We are talking about the creation of a community which offers people choices in terms of living styles, and provides for their leisure and recreational interests, whilst meeting Auckland’s strategic growth initiatives.”

Mr Stringer said that approval of the s293 process provides a way forward to focus on the location and provision of major infrastructure, internal roading, public amenities and landscaping.

“It will enable detailed and specific planning around the type of housing, shops and commercial operations that will be built within the community, and the location of public infrastructure to service it."

The next milestone for the development will come on 18 September, when the submissions window closes. It is anticipated that the Environment Court will review submissions made in relation to the Structure Plan later in the year.

ENDS

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