Busy ARC stays active on its deathbed

Paul Walbran. Photo / Joseph Zou.

For an organisation supposedly in its dying days, the Auckland Regional Council is presenting a remarkably lively "business as usual" face.

In the past fortnight it has announced a $15 million land purchase for its 27th regional park, pushed through resolutions calling for a railway station at Parnell and a new "long-haul" rail service from Huapai to Tuakau, and lodged an appeal against plans for a hotel towering 55m above Auckland's heritage waterfront precinct.

It has also this week approved most of a regional air land water plan covering everything from sediment controls over earthworks to a ban on open fires, after 10 years of preparations, although it faces residual appeals from Watercare over water discharge rules.

On the other hand, regional officials last week withdrew an appeal against the ambitious Massey North town centre proposal after protests from Waitakere City and the developer.

Regional strategy and planning chairman Paul Walbran insists his organisation supports the development and says the appeal followed a misunderstanding over a commissioner's decision temporarily restricting the centre's scope.

But Waitakere City Council member Linda Cooper says the regional body has a history of trying to stall much-needed economic development over planning niggles.

Regardless of the Massey North mix-up, Mr Walbran says the regional council has won more planning cases than it has lost, indicating strong judicial support for its intervention against territorial authority decisions inconsistent with the law and regional policies.

"It's not a matter of being arbitrary and ad hoc ...

"I think some of the things that are going to be missing [under the Super City] are checks and balances - the same issue we have when we don't have an upper house of Parliament," Mr Walbran said.

Regional chairman Mike Lee believes his council has won considerable public support for resisting urban sprawl and protecting sensitive sites, as a counter to city and district council officials who seemed "very susceptible" to pressure from developers promising to expand rating bases.