In the NZ Herald public notices dated December 12, 2022 , following a complaint received over the holiday timeframe adopted for cross submissions over the Plan Change, Auckland Council has conceded this and extended the timeframe for submissions by a week until January 20.
In which case, surely the council should concede also that there is actually no need for Plan Change 78 at all, given its earlier advice that enough housing supply had already been enabled under the Unitary Plan for the next 30 years.
The Plan Change should actually be withdrawn, not just the timeframe for cross submissions extended. There is no need for the Plan Change or for its fast-track under urgency and therefore no justification for the removal of the people’s normal right of appeal to the Environment Court under a Plan Change.
This Plan Change and its process has to constitute an abuse of power by the Government and Local Authority.
Victoria Lowe
Shamrock Park
