by Miriam Bell
After years of controversy, the Independent Hearings Panel will hand over its report on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP) to Auckland Council chief executive Stephen Town this afternoon.
The Panel’s report will then be analysed by a select group of Council staff over the next few days.
No-one else – including Councillors, the government and media - will have access to it until next Wednesday 27 July.
Regulatory services director Penny Pirrit said that, until the Council receives the Panel’s report, it will not know what will be recommended.
She understands the Panel will present a summary report detailing any major recommended policy shifts or changes to the PAUP, along with 60 reports that roughly align with hearing topics.
It will also present a recommended Auckland Unitary Plan and maps.
“The Panel will be providing their recommendations on the PAUP”, Pirrit said.
“This is not a final version of the Unitary Plan. So they have no weight or legal standing until the Council makes a decision to either accept them or decline them.”
On receiving the Plan, the Council has until Friday 19 August to make its decision on the Plan.
In that time, the Council has to either accept or reject each Panel recommendation.
But if it rejects a recommendation it will have to explain why and provide an alternative solution that is within the scope of submissions made on the PAUP.
Pirrit said it will be possible for the Council to ask the Minister of the Environment for an extension of 20 working days to make its decision.
“But the Council must make a decision before local body elections, which will take place between 16 September and 8 October.”
Further, the government has made it clear it expects the Council to make a decision promptly.
Pirrit said that, although the Council’s final decision was yet to come, the release of the Panel’s report was an exciting milestone.
*The Panel’s report and recommendations, and the associated maps, will be available on the Council’s website from Wednesday afternoon. There will also be a phone line for enquiries.
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