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Planning and Environment Committee
16 February 2021
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Planning and Environment Activity Report for
the Quarter Ending 31 December 2020
Department: Community and Planning and Customer and Regulatory
Services
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report updates the Committee on activities including city development, resource
consents, building services, alcohol licensing, environmental health, animal
control and parking enforcement for the three months ending 31 December 2020.
2 Some
highlights for the quarter covered by this report include:
· Continued high volume of building consent applications being
received.
· Continued lift in resource consent numbers post lockdown.
· Completion of the Zero Carbon 2030 rapid review, and findings fed into
the 10 Year Plan 2021/31 development.
· Environment Court mediation on Group two appeals representing almost
half the appeal points on the Second Generation Dunedin City District Plan
(2GP) have been resolved (agreement reached, or appeal withdrawn).
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Committee:
a) Notes the Planning and Environment
Activity Report for the quarter ending 31 December 2020.
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BACKGROUND
Activities
3 The
Community and Planning group of activities work with other agencies to set the direction
for managing Dunedin’s built and natural environment and is responsible
for promoting the sustainable management of the natural and physical resources
through its administration of the functions of the Council under the Resource
Management Act 1991 (RMA).
4 Regulatory
Services contributes directly to the Safe and Healthy City outcome, which is
part of the Social Wellbeing Strategy, and enhances personal safety in relation
to building services, animal services, health licensing, the sale and supply of
alcohol and parking enforcement.
Residents’ Opinion Survey
5 The
Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS) is the principal mechanism by which the
Council measures residents’ satisfaction with a wide range of its
activities.
6 The
ROS is conducted on a continuous monthly basis, aiming to obtain around 100
responses each month, resulting in a sample size of around 1,200 for the
year. This gives a quarterly sample size of around 300 residents. A
sample size of 300 has an expected margin of error (at the 95% confidence
interval) of ± 5.7%, whereas the annual result for 2018/19 had a margin
of error of ± 2.2% (at the 90% confidence level).
7 The
ROS asks respondents to rate their satisfaction levels on a scale from 1-10
from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. Results are now provided in the
quarterly reports for three categories; satisfied/very satisfied, neutral and
dissatisfied/very dissatisfied.
8 The
lower results reported for the last two time periods are due at least in part
to changes in the way these measures are reported.
9 The ROS was temporarily suspended during the July to September 2020
quarter due to an operational issue. The ROS resumed in October 2020,
with data sampling increased for the October and December quarter to obtain
appropriate sample numbers for the July to December 2020 period. These
results are reported in this quarter, and data sampling resumed as normal from
January 2021 onwards.
DISCUSSION
Value and Efficiency
Some Key ROS
Results
10 Satisfaction
with ‘Overall Look and Feel of the City has decreased by 12% from the
same period last year. Dissatisfaction has also increased by 50% compared
to the same period last year.
11 Satisfaction
with ‘Regulatory Services’ (excluding Building Services) has
decreased by 7% from the same period last year. Dissatisfaction with
‘Regulatory Services’ is consistent with the same period last year.
Resource Consents
12 Resource
consent processing in the period ending 31
December 2020 reflects a continued upswing since the COVID-19 lockdown.
At the start of July applications were 11% down on 2019 but ended 2020 1% up on
the total for 2019. In the quarter ended 31 December 2020, 276 applications
(five year quarterly average is 247) were processed and 99% met the statutory
timeframe.
13 The
following graph shows processing over the
last five years. The red line shows the number of applications granted
each month. The January and December low points reflect the summer
holiday periods. This fluctuation is normal. The blue line shows
the percentage meeting the statutory deadline. It ranges from 89% to
100%.
14 The quarter ending 31 December 2020 continued a
busy period for RMA complaints. The total for 2020 ended 52% above the
average for 2012 to 2019 period (224 complaints compared to 116 in
2019). RMA complaints typically cover a range of issues. The main
reasons for lodging an RMA complaint were earthworks, election signage and
damage to trees and vegetation.
15 More
detailed information on resource consents
and other work undertaken by the Resource Consents team can be accessed via at:
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/planning.
Building Services
16 Volumes
of building consents remain high with 808 for the quarter ending 31 December
2020 (compared to 644 received in same period last year). Similarly, high
numbers of site inspections have been undertaken at 3,043 (compared to 2,893
undertaken in the same period last year).
17 The
value of consents for the quarter was $92.5 million. Building
consent application numbers for new dwellings for the quarter was 91.
18 Despite
the high volumes, 99.7% of consents were processed within the 20 working day
statutory timeframe. Building inspection bookings were a week out.
The average time to process a consent during this time period was 13 working
days.
19 
For Code Compliance Certificate requests, 99.5% were
processed within 20 working day statutory timeframe for the quarter.
Alcohol
Licensing
20 The District
Licensing Committee’s new members have undertaken training for their new
roles and commenced opposition hearings.
21 Along
with the usual changing of ownership of premises there has been a new
on-licence open in the central city and four off-licenced premises, three of
which are internet-based sellers.
Environmental
Health
22 Overall food safety in Dunedin food premises
remains at a high standard with the percentage of ‘A’ Grade food
premises reaching 91% for the quarter ending 31 December 2020.
23 The number of noise complaints has reduced this quarter,
consistent with previous years.
Animal Services
24 There
has been a reduction in customer service requests over the last quarter
compared to the same period in 2019.
Parking Services Enforcement
25 There
has been reduction in customer service requests during this quarter
compared to the same period in 2019. A new system of following up with
customers on parking related customer service requests to ‘close the
loop’ was introduced in October 2020, with the objective of reducing
customer call backs.
26 There has been a decrease in parking infringement numbers compared
to the same period in 2019.
Eco-Design Advisor
27 All
outstanding consult visits are now up to date.
28 A
project is now underway to review the Dunedin Public Libraries green building
standards through ‘GreenStar’ voluntary building
certification. The Eco Design Advisor will be involved in putting
monitoring (environmental, energy and water use) in place in the libraries over
the coming months.
Major Initiatives
29 The
following section provides updates on the current status of the initiatives and
is not confined to the quarter ending December 2020.
Second Generation Dunedin City District Plan (2GP) -
Appeals
30 Mediation for the second group of the 2GP
appeals began on 30 July 2020 and will be completed in February 2021.
Topics in this round of mediation have included hazard facilities, service
stations, reverse sensitivity, mana whenua, commercial, campus, residential
strategic, network utilities, and biodiversity and coastal character.
Most appeals in Groups one and two (which include the most significant
strategic appeals) have been resolved or are close to agreement.
31 Staff
lodged several consent memorandums with the Environment Court in December 2020,
which resulted in two consent orders being issued. A number of appeals
have also been withdrawn.
32 Staff
are working on preparing consent memorandums on the other mediation topics, but
some will be held until appeals on related topics or provisions have been
resolved. One topic (rural landscape) has been set for a
second round of mediation. When consent memorandums are signed by
the Environment Court, they are issued to the DCC as a consent order and this
change is then incorporated into the 2GP.
2GP - Growth Planning and Variation
2
33 The
DCC has been working on changes to the 2GP to provide for more housing.
Dunedin residents have previously been asked for their ideas on how and where
the city should grow. That feedback, site assessments and input from DCC
infrastructure teams have helped develop the proposed changes. All
options were assessed in terms of impacts on the 3 Waters infrastructure
network and identification of any necessary priority infrastructure upgrade
projects in the 10 Year Plan. Options were also being evaluated in terms
of potential impacts on the transportation network.
34 The
proposed changes include:
· Zoning
changes for some sites which will result in:
o new
greenfield sites for development in areas that were zoned rural or rural
residential
o more
areas of medium-density zoning (where the density of housing can be increased).
· Rule
changes for most of suburban Dunedin that will:
o make
better provision for social housing
o remove
the restrictions on who can live in family flats
o allow
smaller site sizes and provide for duplexes
o create
more flexibility for development through changes such as making it easier to
average out site sizes in subdivisions.
· Changes
which will improve how the plan manages the development of areas rezoned for
new houses (greenfield sites) to encourage good urban design and well-managed
infrastructure.
35 Most
Dunedin residents live in areas which would be affected by one or more of these
proposed changes. A paper seeking to notify Variation 2 to the 2GP was
presented to Council on 29 January 2021. Variation 2 was
publicly notified on the 3 February 2021 with the period for a formal submission
extending until 4 March 2021.
Dunedin Heritage Trust Fund
36 The
Dunedin Heritage Fund Committee met in November 2020 for the second funding
round of the 2020/21 year, allocating $80,000 in heritage grants. The
heritage developments supported across the city in Round 2 leveraged an
estimated $416,505 of heritage work, and included the following projects:
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Address
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Name
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Grant Amount
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Support for
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18 London Street
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‘Skid Row’ villa
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$10,000
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Heritage
window replacements and re‑glazing.
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721A Portobello Road
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Mary Queen of Peace Church
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$10,000
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Interior
repainting and repairs.
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1055 Highcliff Road
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Pukehiki Community Church
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$20,000
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Support for
Stage Two external repairs and restoration work.
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342 High Street
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Deacons Court
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$20,000
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Restoration
(repairs and repainting) of exterior.
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7 Montpellier Street
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Former High Street School site
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TBC
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Restoration
element of historic fencing (former High Street School).
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38 Magnetic Street
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St Mary Star of the Sea Church
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$10,000
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Roof
replacement and capping repairs.
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31 Smith Street
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St Dominic’s Priory
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$20,000
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Emergency
work to south elevation window and masonry surround (stabilisation and
bracing support).
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62 and 64 Dundas Street
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Terraces
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$TBC
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Replacement
of original slate roof cladding with traditional slate roofing and associated
roof level repairs.
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Heritage
37 Staff are looking at options for a public
heritage offering in 2021 to bridge the gap until the next Heritage Awards in
2022. Suggestions so far include a half to one day research symposium; a
half-day workshop for developers/owners; or a public heritage tour and
talk. Suggestions are welcome from everyone with an interest in heritage.
Biodiversity
38 The
September 2020 round of the Dunedin Biodiversity Fund had 21 applicants seeking
$73,416, nearly twice the available funding of $40,000. The round was
fully allocated with 15 applicants receiving full or partial funding for their
projects. The Fund continues to receive increasing numbers of applicants
overall with a record 37 applicants over the two rounds in 2020, and higher
proportions of private landowners and first-time applicants. Funded
projects included native forest revegetation, fencing, wetland restoration, and
plant and animal pest control.
Te Ao Tūroa
39 The
Te Ao Tūroa Partnership discussed the delivery timeframe of community
projects funded by Te Ao Tūroa Grants in June 2020, in light of
COVID-19. The Partnership resolved that if a project is delayed by no
more than three months from 30 June 2021, funding will be retained. If a
project cannot be undertaken within three months, funding would be returned.
40 The
second year of a Te Ao Tūroa Summer Studentship is underway in partnership
with University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic. The Studentship is
focused on projects related to local activities and opportunities in Otago that
are in line with the United Nations’ Sustainability Development
Goals. The project outcomes will feed into RCE Otago, “Whaiao
– Education for Sustainability Otago” of which the DCC is part.
South Dunedin Future (SDF) Project
41 Work
is progressing with ORC regarding governance and leadership of the project.
Mana Whakahono ā Rohe/Iwi Partnership Agreement
42 In
December 2020, a new
Kaiwhakamāherehere, Jeanette Wikaira, commenced work at the DCC. Ms
Wikaira reports to the CEO and is a member of the Executive Leadership
Team. Further discussions between mana whenua and Councillors will take
place in preparation for the 10 Year Plan 2021/31, primarily on partnership
elements of the strategic framework and developing Te Tiriti o Waitangi
principle priority indicators in the current 10 Year Plan. This
will build on the feedback already provided by senior mana whenua
representatives in October 2020 (and reported to Council in December 2020)
on suggested framework improvements, considerations for governance arrangements
(ie the Māori Participation Working Party) and other opportunities around
capturing and using Māori data to inform decision making.
Carbon Zero 2030
43 An
update on the DCC’s Zero Carbon 2030 work programme was provided to
Council on 14 December 2020, as part of the 10 Year Plan work
programme. As highlighted in that report, focus areas for the work
programme have been:
· A
further update to the Dunedin emissions profile 2018/19 employing a new
methodology
· Working
with teams across the DCC to consider alignment of current and proposed
activities with the Zero Carbon target, including feeding into the Climate 2030
Rapid Review, the DCC Emissions Reduction Plan refresh, and draft 10 Year Plan
development
· Providing
input and support from a Zero Carbon perspective on other aspects of draft
10 Year Plan development, including draft Levels of Service, and the draft
Infrastructure and Financial Strategies
· Refinement
of a Zero Carbon 2030 work programme and delivery structure for 2021/22‑23/24.
44 In
addition, formal discussions regarding a framework for the Zero Carbon 2030
Alliance have commenced with potential founding members, and 2019/20 DCC
inventory development, reporting and audit (under the Toitū carbon reduce
programme) has been progressed, along with procurement of a new emissions data
management system for the DCC.
Capital
Projects
City to Waterfront Bridge
45 In December 2020, as part of the 10 Year Plan
process, the Council received an update report on the
City to Waterfront Connection project following the business case process and
the Council decision in May 2020 to defer the Dunedin Waterfront Revitalisation
project due to economic uncertainties.
46 The
scope of the project is to be reviewed with mana whenua and
other stakeholders, in light of recent changes, to ensure that the bridge meets
broader aspirations for the city including mana whenua cultural values. Staff
will report back to Council in May 2021 with recommendations as to the scope
and timing of the bridge connection.
Urban Design
47 The
work programme for this period has included designing/construction for the
staged development at Te Rauone Reserve and co-ordinating with Port Otago
Limited during construction of breakwater facilities. Urban design
support and advice was provided during the business case stages for the Central
City Plan: Retail Precinct and Tertiary Streets projects. Other work
includes developing a city-wide residential character assessment to help
decision making during Variation 2 to the 2GP and providing conceptual design
support and graphics for the Coastal Plan (3 Waters).
48 The
team has also contributed to the following projects: North East Valley
Cycleway Project, South Dunedin Library and Community Complex, and the
Peninsula Connection.
OPTIONS
49 As this is an update report, there are no options.
NEXT STEPS
50 Key
areas of focus for the next quarter include:
· Working
with mana whenua on partnership elements of the strategic framework and
aspirations for the city
· Mediation
and resolutions of the remaining 2GP appeals
· Variation
2 to the 2GP – submissions and hearings stage
· Completion
of the housing capacity monitoring report and starting the review of the
Spatial Plan/development of next Future Development Strategy jointly with the
ORC to guide growth in the city for the next 30 years
· Working
with ORC on the governance and leadership of the South Dunedin Future Programme
· Scoping
the revision of the Carbon Management Policy and progressing the introduction
of a new emissions data management system.
Signatories
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Author:
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Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning
Paul Henderson - Acting Group Manager Customer and
Regulatory Services
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Authoriser:
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Robert West - Acting General Manager City Services
Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services
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Attachments
There are no attachments for
this report.
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose of Local Government
This report
relates to providing a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.
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Fit with strategic framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Economic Development
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Environment Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Spatial Plan
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Integrated Transport
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Parks and Recreation
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Other strategic
projects/policies/plans
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☒
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☐
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☐
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The Planning and
Environment portfolio of activities support the outcomes of a number of
strategies.
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Māori Impact Statement
No specific
implications for Māori. Work with Aukaha to ensure a
partnership approach with mana whenua is ongoing following the appointment of
the new DCC Kaiwhakamāherehere.
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Sustainability
This is an
update report, there are no specific implications for sustainability.
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10YP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy
/Infrastructure Strategy
This is an
update report, there are no implications for the 10YP, although some measures
are level of service performance measures that are annually reported as part
of the 10YP.
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Financial considerations
The updates
reported are within existing operating and capital budgets.
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Significance
This report is
assessed as being of low significance under the Significance and Engagement
Policy.
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Engagement – external
This is an
update report, no external engagement has been undertaken.
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Engagement - internal
This is an
update report, no internal engagement has been undertaken. Input to the
major initiatives and project updates has been provided by teams within
Regulatory Services and Community and Planning Groups.
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Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.
There are no
identified risks.
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Conflict of Interest
There are no
known conflicts of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no
specific implications for Community Boards, although aspects of the report
may be of interest to them.
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