STREAMLINING STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING IN AUCKLAND PLANNING TOOLS AND PROCESSES FOR EFFECTIVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

The Auckland Council Stormwater Department has a responsibility to maintain and provide stormwater services across Auckland. With Auckland growing at a rapid rate, the Stormwater Department faces the challenge of operating and maintaining aging infrastructure whilst managing intensification and new greenfield development in an ever expanding city. This means that there is a need to ensure that planning and consenting requirements are undertaken in an efficient and timely manner.

The legislative environment within Auckland has seen a number of changes over the last few years to facilitate efficient and timely growth. This includes both the notification of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan to streamline regional and district planning, as well as the Auckland Housing Accord to fast track housing developments and address the current housing shortage.

Whilst there is a need to match development with growth, there is also a need to have in place transparent and environmentally sound practices that meet the requirements of sustainable management, in accordance with the principles of the Resource Management Act.

The Stormwater Department has in place a number of tools and processes to achieve this. These aim to create consistency of approach across the region and also provide opportunities to enhance or improve projects. This includes:

• The involvement of planners throughout the project cycle, closely working with engineers, contractors and regulatory;
• Engagement processes with mana whenua, key stakeholders and other utility providers to share information, build understanding and relationships;
• Capacity building within regulatory to improve understanding of stormwater projects;
• Involvement in legislative processes;
• Implementation of compliance management plans to ensure consenting and landowner requirements are understood and met;
• Regional consents for certain aspects of work.

This paper explores some of the tools and processes that have been established using examples of where projects have benefitted from their implementation.