The 'wait and see' for recommendations to amend proposed new planning system
With receiving of public submissions and public hearings now complete, the passage of the ‘once in a generation’ Planning and Natural Environment bills has entered a new stage.
This will entail the Environment Committee deliberating over the findings that will determine the extent of amendments they will recommend in their report back to the House before 26 June (at the latest).
During this stage issues that have been raised will still remain alive in the public domain and up for debate, as evidenced by this week’s programme for NZPIC26, the conference of Te Kōkiringa Taumata | New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI).
This annual event kicks off fully this Thursday 26 March at the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, and features numerous sessions related to the ushering in of anticipated new planning rules, including:
Two relevant workshops titled: ‘Building tomorrow’s culture for a new era in planning’ (co-hosted by Sara Clarke and Donna Caddie from the Ministry for the Environment and Liz Moncrieff from NZPI); and ‘From Evidence to Action: Workshop on embedding science in land use planning’.
A presentation by Natasha Lewis - currently Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Stewardship and Performance at the Ministry for the Environment - designed to set “a clear, future focused vision for a planning system that is digitally enabled, data driven, and designed around the people who use it”.
A panel discussion offering perspectives on the new planning system. The panelists are Alan McDonald (EMA Head of Advocacy, Strategy and Finance), Reginald Proffit (Pou Arataki - Director Maori for WSP Aotearoa New Zealand) and Emily Grace (Chief Policy Officer, NZPI). The discussion will be facilitated by Nadeine Dommisse - currently Deputy Secretary, Environmental Management and Adaptation at the Ministry for the Environment
Last but not least there will be a political debate on Friday featuring Minister Chris Bishop (National), Rachel Brooking (Labour), Lan Pham (Greens), Simon Court (ACT) and Andy Foster (NZ First).
NZILA’s Oral Submission to the Environment Committee
For its submitter presentation on 12 March, Tuia Pito Ora New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) was represented (as pictured above) by four people: Simon Button, NZILA Board member; Shannon Bray, Environmental Legislation working group; Ben Ormsby, Te Tau-a-Nuku; and Bridget Gilbert, Environmental Legislation working group.
As conveyed in a LinkedIn post by NZILA the committee members appeared very engaged as they heard about the fundamental importance of retaining Landscape and Landscape Effects within the legislation. Questions put back to the NZILA along with favourable nodding of heads from the committee can be seen in the video available on Vimeo.
On receiving a copy of NZILA’s highly regarded landscape assessment guidelines Te Tangi a te Manu, the Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Labour) was moved to comment “these are the most beautiful guidelines I’ve ever seen”, and committee chair Catherine Wedd (National) closed the session by asking the NZILA representatives to thank their professional colleagues for all the amazing work that they do around New Zealand.
In summary the presentation consisted of a compelling set of slides (see the mosaic above), focused on the underpinning value delivered through attention to the enduring benefits of landscape architecture, planning and design. This was supported by a detailed narrative. For full context the NZILA’s written submission made on 13 February can be read here.
The closing slide in the NZILA’s oral submission.
… an afterburner
Having won a speaking slot on behalf of his own company, Wayfinder Landscape Planning & Strategy, Shannon Bray cleverly extended the spotlight put on landscape architecture and the planning and design roles played by landscape architects with a further oral submission immediately subsequent to NZILA’s one. This gallery displays the Wayfinder submission.
Further References
How laws are made - www.parliament.nz
See here for a listing collated by LAA of the 172 submitters selected to present oral submissions in the order that they presented. (This equates to near to 12% of all submitters).
The Urban Design Forum presentation to the Environment Committee appears on Vimeo here at 59 minutes.