Sustainable Design and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. Anthony Horton, Principal Planner, Auckland Council

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1 Sustainable Design and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan Anthony Horton, Principal Planner, Auckland Council

2 Overview Context Strategic overview Policy Development in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. Notification and Implementation

3 Why do we need to address sustainability? Aucklanders want sustainable buildings and neighbourhoods. Homes are cold, damp and unhealthy. Climate change and environmental impacts. Improved efficiency lower power bills. Perception of inaction - current approaches are not delivering Disconnect between what s being built and New Zealand's clean green image as well Auckland s aspirations to be the worlds most liveable city.

4 The Auckland Plan Key strategic plan for Auckland Expectation that the Unitary Plan will include sustainable design standards Chapter 10 Includes environmental design principles.

5 The Low Carbon Action Plan Actions to deliver the targets of the Auckland Plan. Vision for Auckland 2040: 95% of all building achieve sustainable design standards equivalent to a 6 Green Star rating. 95% of all housing achieve sustainable design standards equivalent to a 8 Homestar rating. 90% of all building have their performance monitored. Auckland Unitary Plan identified as a key tool for delivery

6 Policy development: Current best practice for local government Auckland and New Zealand Predominantly educational and incentive programmes Building Act not delivering and RMA not widely used International Sustainable design standards the norm for many Sustainability assessment tools voluntary and mandatory Best practice - regulation and educational programmes

7 Policy development: Options 1. Status quo rely on council educational programmes. 2. Development controls specific sustainable design rules for energy, water and waste. 3. Assessment tools - requirements for development to meet a certain rating based on assessment tool. 4. Incentives Incentivise rather than require sustainable design.

8 Why use sustainability assessment tools? Quantifiable evaluation of the sustainability of a building Simple and consistent application Flexible - allows the developer to decide how to get the best outcome Tools can provide an independent auditable evaluation framework. What type of tool? Proprietary assessment tool Homestar Auckland Council develops its own tool TUSC Customised tool - BASE

9 Capital cost for new homes 2% or approximately $6000 for a 3 bedroom home Large scale development and consideration early on can reduce the additional cost to $0 Benefits for new homes up to 50% energy savings up to 40% water savings Payback 5.5 to 7 years Improved health and comfort Increased property value and rental returns Sustainable design helps the housing affordability issue

10 So what does the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan say? RPS - Policy Require large scale development, and encourage all other development, to minimise environmental impact through best practice sustainable design. Rules - Residential Where 5 or more dwellings are proposed, all dwelling s will need to be designed to meet a 6 star rating using the Homestar Tool. Rules - Office and Industrial An office or industrial building over 5000m2 GFA will need to be designed to meet a 4 star rating using the Green Star Tool.

11 Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan notified Sept 2013: Approach to sustainable design has attracted approximately 900 submission points. Strong community support and should apply to all buildings Strong opposition from developers and large landowners. Hearings on this issue likely to commence mid 2015.

12 Special Housing Areas Unique situation legislation makes Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan operative for Special Housing Areas. Some difficulties early on steep learning curve. Improvements made to both Council and NZ Green Building Council processes. Proactive communication. Early thinking on sustainable design outcomes significantly reduces cost.

13 Closing thoughts We are still playing catch-up. Relationship between the Building Act, RMA and LGA. Importance of the Cost Benefit Analysis and the views of the community. Sustainability and affordability.