KEY POINTS:
Auckland's political leaders have taken to heart a warning that the region won't achieve its sustainability goals without an urgent move away from "business as usual" in decision-making and actions.
They have promised to discuss with their communities a more sophisticated and concerted approach to growth planning, recommended in two reports presented to the Regional Growth Forum on Wednesday.
One of the documents, Auckland Sustainability Framework, could by September become the guide for all councils when developing their strategies and funding processes.
Present actions are influenced by the 7-year-old Regional Growth Strategy, which is reviewed in the second document, Growing Smarter.
Forum chairman Mike Lee, who is also chairman of the Auckland Regional Council, said the strategy gave the "nuts and bolts of how we plan to develop Auckland, without urban sprawl and pollution".
The framework was a well-meaning, sensible proposition of values to be adopted in developing the region. "It's a long-term view of things such as climate change, population change, carbon neutrality and fair society for all ... about saving the planet," said Mr Lee.
The framework document says Auckland's long-term goals "cannot be achieved by thinking and acting as we have always done". It calls for eight fundamental shifts in thinking, planning, investment and action.
Shifts in thinking
* Put people at the centre of thinking and action
* Think in generations, not years
* Value the Maori view
* Encourage active citizenship
* Create prosperity based on sustainable practices
* Reduce impact on ecology
* Build a carbon neutral future
* Integrate thinking, planning, investment and action
