Agenda of Auckland City Centre Advisory Board

TERMS OF REFERENCE

(Excerpt –full terms of reference available as a separate document)

1. These terms of reference set out the roles, responsibilities and working arrangements for the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board.

2. The board is a key advisory body, with no decision-making or autonomous budgetary authority.

3. The board will assist the Auckland Council, specifically the Governing Body and the Waitematā Local Board and Auckland Council Controlled Organisations to oversee and be a key advisor to the Auckland Council on achieving the vision and strategic outcomes of the Auckland Plan, the City Centre Masterplan, the expenditure of the city centre targeted rate and city centre issues.

Membership:

Includes one councillor and one local board member.

The board should include members who can provide expert advice on many areas including transport, landscape, environment and youth sectors. The membership includes a position for Mana Whenua. Representatives from CCOs may be board members without voting rights. The number of the board members should be between 16 and 21 at any time.

The new panel’s term should end one month prior to the next local government elections in 2019. The membership of the panel may be rolled over for more than one electoral term of three years.

Exclusion of the public – who needs to leave the meeting

Members of the public

All members of the public must leave the meeting when the public are excluded unless a resolution is passed permitting a person to remain because their knowledge will assist the meeting.

Those who are not members of the public

General principles

· Access to confidential information is managed on a “need to know” basis where access to the information is required in order for a person to perform their role.

· Those who are not members of the meeting (see list below) must leave unless it is necessary for them to remain and hear the debate in order to perform their role.

· Those who need to be present for one confidential item can remain only for that item and must leave the room for any other confidential items.

· In any case of doubt, the ruling of the chairperson is final.

Members of the meeting

· The members of the meeting remain (all Governing Body members if the meeting is a Governing Body meeting; all members of the committee if the meeting is a committee meeting).

· However, standing orders require that a councillor who has a pecuniary conflict of interest leave the room.

· All councillors have the right to attend any meeting of a committee and councillors who are not members of a committee may remain, subject to any limitations in standing orders.

Independent Māori Statutory Board

· Members of the Independent Māori Statutory Board who are appointed members of the committee remain.

· Independent Māori Statutory Board members and staff remain if this is necessary in order for them to perform their role.

Staff

· All staff supporting the meeting (administrative, senior management) remain.

· Other staff who need to because of their role may remain.

Local Board members

· Local Board members who need to hear the matter being discussed in order to perform their role may remain. This will usually be if the matter affects, or is relevant to, a particular Local Board area.

Council Controlled Organisations

· Representatives of a Council Controlled Organisation can remain only if required to for discussion of a matter relevant to the Council Controlled Organisation.

Auckland City Centre Advisory Board

19 April 2017

Election of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson

File No.: CP2017/05949

Purpose

1. To elect a chairperson and deputy chairperson for the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board (the board).

Executive summary

2. With the new term of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board, members are required to elect a new chairperson and deputy chairperson.

3. The previous chair, Kate Healy, has resigned from the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board and is therefore not seeking re-election. The previous deputy chair, John Coop has also announced his impending resignation, requiring the board to elect a new deputy chairperson.

4. The board must decide whether the election will be conducted by open or closed ballot.

5. The board must also choose a voting system. Staff recommend that the board adopt one of the two voting systems outlined in the Local Government Act 2002 (refer to paragraphs 12 and 13 of this report).

6. Once the board has made these choices, the Lead Officer Support will lead the process for the election of the chairperson.

Recommendation/s

That the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board:

a) decide whether the chairperson and deputy chairperson will be elected by open or closed ballot.

b) decide whether the chairperson will be elected using voting system A or voting system B (as described in Schedule 7, Clause 25 of the Local Government Act 2002).

c) elect a chairperson.

d) elect a deputy chairperson.

Comments

7. At its meeting on 23 September 2015 the board elected Kate Healy as chairperson (Resolution number CEN/2015/74). On 22 February 2017 Kate announced her resignation from the board, and that the scheduled board meeting on 29 March 2017 would be her last meeting.

8. John Coop was elected deputy chairperson on 25 November 2015 (Resolution number CEN/2015/100). On 29 March 2017 John wrote to chairperson Kate Healy to announce his resignation from the board, upon the appointment of a replacement member from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

9. The board is required to elect a new chairperson and deputy chairperson. Once the chairperson has been elected the same process for the deputy chair will follow.

10. There is no provision for proxy voting. Only members present may nominate and vote for the chairperson. Candidates can vote for themselves.

11. The board’s terms of reference state that the three elected members are ineligible to be elected as chair or deputy chair to the board.

Open or closed ballot

12. The board can choose to elect the chairperson by show of hand, which is an open ballot, or by writing their preference on a ballot paper, which is a closed ballot.

Voting system

13. The board needs to decide what voting system it wants to use.

14. Staff recommend to undertake the election in accordance with Schedule 7, Clause 25 of the Local Government Act 2002, and to choose one of the two systems that can be used to elect chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of regional councils and other committees. The two systems are described below.

15. System A –

· requires that a person is elected or appointed if he or she receives the votes of a majority of the members of the local authority or committee present and voting, and

· has the following characteristics:

- there is a first round of voting for all candidates

- if no candidate is successful in that round there is a second round of voting from which the candidate with the fewest votes in the first round is excluded

- if no candidate is successful in the second round there is a third, and if necessary subsequent, round of voting from which, each time, the candidate with the fewest votes in the previous round is excluded

- in any round of voting, if two or more candidates tie for the lowest number of votes, the person excluded from the next round is resolved by lot.

16. System B –

· requires that a person is elected or appointed if he or she receives more votes than any other candidate, and

· has the following characteristics:

- there is only one round of voting

- if two or more candidates tie for the most votes, the tie is resolved by lot.

Voting procedure at the meeting

17. The meeting will proceed as follows:

· The lead officer will call the meeting to order and deal with apologies and the initial procedural items.

· The first item of substantive business will be the election of chairperson and the meeting will be chaired by the lead officer, assisted by the governance advisor.

· The lead officer will call for a decision on whether the ballot will be open or closed. This will be by simple voice or show of hands vote.

· The lead officer will then call for a decision on the voting system. Once a member moves one of the systems and is seconded, it will be put to the vote. Again a decision will be by voice or show of hands.

· The lead officer will call for nominations for chairperson. Each candidate must be nominated and seconded by a board member who is present.

· If there is only one nomination that person will be declared elected and will assume the chair.

· If there is more than one candidate, an election will take place using the voting system agreed earlier.

· If it is closed voting, the governance advisor will undertake the vote, scrutineered by the liaison councillor.

· Once the chairperson is elected, they will assume the chair and carry out the process for electing the deputy chairperson.

· The meeting will then continue with the next item of business.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

18. There are no local board implications.

Māori impact statement

19. There are no items in this report which impact on matters of significance for Māori.

Implementation

There are no significant implication issues.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Author	Kalinda Gopal - Governance Advisor
Authoriser	Ralph Webster - Manager Development Programmes

Auckland City Centre Advisory Board

19 April 2017

City Centre progress update for the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board - to 12 April 2017

File No.: CP2017/06101

Purpose

1. To update the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board (ACCAB) on progress on City Centre projects and initiatives to 12 April 2017.

2. The report provides a high-level overview of progress on projects and initiatives in the City Centre, including:

a. Programming Activities

b. Operations

c. Delivery Projects

For each project, a coloured bar shows the three stages of development:

Feasibility / Investigation
Design / Consultation
Construction

An arrow then shows what stage the project is currently at.

Executive summary

Britomart Streetscapes - Stage 2: Galway Street East

3. Construction is progressing well and is on track to be completed in July 2017.

Myers Park Upgrade – Stage 2

4. The construction contract for the Mayoral Drive Underpass artwork and improvements to the entrances is being re-tendered. This has delayed the start of construction until the middle of 2017. There is also a risk that the tender price after full re-tender may be higher than the budget and scope reduction may have to be considered.

Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Place Upgrade

5. Paving works are progressing well on Freyberg Place and Courthouse Lane. Building works are continuing and the project is on track for completion in June 2017.

Karangahape Road Streetscape Enhancement and Cycleway

6. AT has approved additional funding for the project. Detailed design services will be tendered in April.

City Rail Link

7. The CRL has attracted strong international interest in the contract for the project’s tunnels and stations.

8. Investigation works in Albert St between Victoria and Wellesley Streets are underway to determine the location of utilities in advance of Aotea station works.

Albert Street and Lower Queen Street Public Realm Works

9. The CRL team presented latest designs for Albert Street to the Council Projects Design Review Panel (CPDRP) on Monday 10 April and will attend the April ACCAB meeting to update the full board on progress to date.

Activate Auckland

10. The Development Response Group is progressing work on an integrated package of tools that can be used to minimise the impacts of construction on businesses, residents and public spaces.

City Centre Transport Network

11. The Mid Town East West Public Transport Study project team has identified a preferred option for further investigation. AT began public engagement on the proposal on 31 March and will be seeking feedback until 24 April.

Recommendation/s

That the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board:

a) receive the City Centre progress update report, updated to 12 April 2017.

Comments

Programming

Lower Queen St & Albert St Reinstatement upgrades

12. The Auckland City Centre Advisory Board has endorsed, subject to conditions, contributing $20 million for the reinstatement of Albert Street and $10 million for the reinstatement of Lower Queen Street, to be included in the construction contracts for CRL.

13. The CRL team presented latest designs to the Council Projects Design Review Panel (CPDRP) on 10 April.

14. Members of the CRL team will be attending the April ACCAB meeting to update the full board on progress to date.

Waterfront Planning and Implementation programme

15. A targeted refresh of the Waterfront Plan 2012 is underway. This work is required to guide the prioritisation and implementation of current and future city waterfront projects and to better enable integrated planning and delivery across the council family. While integrated with the wider waterfront planning, the refresh does not seek to deliver a new Waterfront Plan.

16. A workshop was held with the ACCAB on 29 March 2017 to provide an update on progress, provide the context for which key decisions are being made and to seek feedback from the ACCAB members on the direction of the waterfront planning.

17. An immediate requirement of the waterfront planning has been around the need to progress Phase 2 of the Cruise strategy. In order to accommodate larger cruise ships, such as the Ovation of the Seas (350m, 4900 passengers), Auckland needs an immediate berthing solution, to avoid this season’s scenario where Ovation of the Seas had to moor in the harbour.

18. Ahead of a decision on longer term cruise infrastructure, berthing larger ships on Queens Wharf is the only location available. A series of mooring options have been assessed for Queens Wharf to ensure functionality, operability, deliverability and cost effectiveness.

19. The 28 March Planning Committee agreed in principle to the inner dolphin off Queens Wharf to enable large cruise ships to berth in Auckland from the 2018/19 cruise season. This agreement is subject to further technical work and risk assessment, and all consent approvals being obtained.

Learning Quarter

20. The installation of the network of CCTV cameras in Albert Park commenced in late March. It is anticipated to be a four to six month timeframe to complete installation.

21. Levels of night time light in Albert Park are set to improve as a suitable light kit has been sourced to enable the existing bulbs to be changed to LED bulbs. The heritage lamp posts will remain in place, only light bulbs will change.

22. The Mid Town East West Public Transport Study project team has identified a preferred option for further investigation. AT began public engagement on the proposal on 31 March and will be seeking feedback until 24 April.

23. Restoration of two historic buildings in Albert Park is planned to begin in July 2017. Both the band rotunda and the Caretaker’s Cottage will be restored.

Homelessness

24. The Public Amenities Working Group is facilitating discussions between Auckland City Mission and St Matthews in the City about a proposal to temporarily provide lockers for the homeless in the church grounds.

25. Contract negotiations on the draft funding agreement between Auckland Council and the James Liston Hostel Trust for a $2 million contribution to the upgrade of James Liston Hostel have successfully progressed and parties are now close to finalising the wording for the funding agreement.

26. The agreement sets out conditions that must be fulfilled prior to the release of any funding for the upgrade to the James Liston Hostel, along with expectations of how the facility will operate in order to achieve expected outcomes.

27. James Liston Hostel advise that designs are close to being finalised and the intention is to apply for resource consent and building consent in the very near future.

28. Fundraising for the balance of capital required to complete the upgrade has advanced and arrangements will be in place to ensure ‘all funding has been secured’ prior to construction work commencing (an Auckland Council requirement).

High Street District Framework

29. The High Street District Framework project will progress in April now that the construction of Freyberg Place and the Ellen Melville Centre is into the final few months.

Activate Auckland

30. The Auckland Design Office, ATEED and the Development Programme Office have collaborated to design hoardings for private development sites (Commercial Bay and St James Suites) to improve the appearance of the city during the World Masters Games. Light boxes highlighting both public and private sector projects will also be installed in Lower Queen Street for the duration of the games.

31. The Activate Auckland team has continued to lead place-making in Lower Queen Street over the 2016/17 summer season. The creation of the lawn and the provision of colourful deck chairs has transformed the space into a desirable resting spot for visitors and workers. Lower Queen Street Plaza will remain in place until 1 May 2017.

32. The Development Response Group has been established to consider an integrated package of tools that can be used to minimise the impacts of construction on businesses, residents and public spaces. This builds on the work and initiatives included in the High Street District in response to the Freyberg Place Upgrade.

Sky Path

33. No further update.

City Rail Link Update

34. The CRL has attracted strong international interest in the contract for the project’s tunnels and stations. Ten companies from Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand have participated in the pre-qualification phase and eight have been approved to move to the expression of interest phase.

35. A new role has been established in the CRL Communications team, Street Response Manager. The purpose of the role is to provide an integrated development response to the challenges faced above-ground during construction. The role will bring together business support services, activation of the street and the strengthening of relationships with stakeholders.

City Centre Masterplan Implementation

36. On 28 March the Planning Committee resolved to:

a) reiterate support for the vision articulated in the Auckland City Centre Masterplan 2012, including the nine outcomes and targets attached to that vision, and the three key transformational moves connected to the current Implementation Plan:

i) Move 6 The Green Link: Connecting Victoria Park, Albert Park and the Auckland Domain as Part of a Blue-Green Park network

ii) Move 1 The Harbour Edge Stitch: Quay Street Harbour Edge and uniting the Waterfront with the City Centre

iii) Move 3 The Engine Room: Queen Street valley, the CBD and Retail District.

b) agree the proposed approach and timeline for updating the Implementation Plan for the Auckland City Centre Masterplan for the following three projects, reflected by the three key transformational moves:

i) Victoria Linear Park and Midtown East–West Public Transport

ii) Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard and Hobson Street Flyover

iii) Queen Street - Issue Identification and Project Implications.

Cycle Network

37. Quay St segment of the Tamaki Drive Cycleway: Construction has been delayed due to the resource consent application being notified.

38. Nelson St Cycleway: The section of the Nelson St Cycleway from Victoria St to Pakenham St East in Market Place and Pitt St from Beresford Square to Hobson St has been awarded for construction starting after the World Masters Games early May and being completed by August. Plans for the remaining section of Market Pl, Customs St West and Lower Hobson is included as Stage 2 of the Westhaven to City project.

39. Westhaven to City (Stage 1): This is a route for more confident cyclists from Westhaven Promenade to Customs St West. The route supplements shared paths along Beaumont St, North Wharf and Te Wero. The proposal was consulted on late last year. AT are currently responding to consultation and progressing design.

40. Westhaven to City (Stage 2): The preferred options will have parking protected cycle lanes on each side of Market Place, with traffic restricted to one direction. Customs St West and Lower Hobson St will have bi-directional separated cycle paths completing the link to Quay St. The project team are currently developing scheme plans.

41. Midtown cycleway (Victoria Street): Victoria St - consultation to start in mid/late April for the scheme from Beaumont St to Hobson St. The rest of the project to connect to the east will be delivered beyond 2018 in conjunction with the Midtown Bus Routes project which is currently out for consultation.

42. Beaumont St Interim Cycleway: The delivery of Beaumont St section of the Interim Cycleway is underway. The works will still be delivered over a six week period. Works will be delivered under a rolling 50m max length works site. Hours of works from 7:30 am to finishing at 3:30 pm in order to reduce traffic impact at afternoon peak. Pedestrian and business access will be maintained at all time. Speed table works will undertaken at night along with road markings.

Wynyard Quarter Redevelopment

43. The length of Pakenham and Halsey streets in Wynyard Quarter re-opened to vehicles and pedestrians last week. Both streets received a facelift – transforming them into beautiful streetscapes that are pedestrian and cyclist friendly places with street furniture and paving alongside lots of lush planting.

44. Much of the work carried out on both streets happened below ground. New piping and landscape design improve the stormwater before it flows into the harbour, and essential service infrastructure such as the sewer network received an upgrade so it can support the current and future population of Wynyard Quarter.

45. The work on Pakenham Street was carried out by Panuku Development Auckland and the upgrade to Halsey Street was an Auckland Transport project. The milestones were marked by a small celebratory opening for surrounding businesses and residents last Tuesday morning.

46. Another milestone was reached on the same day – with the official opening of the Mason Bros. building. In partnership with Panuku Development Auckland, Precinct Properties led the re-development of the former industrial warehouse into a three-level office space with the end result being an architecturally stunning space whilst retaining some of its heritage. The first tenant Warren & Mahoney moved into the building late last year.

Operations

City Centre Operations

47. Funding has been endorsed by ACCAB and approved by council’s Finance and Performance Committee for the establishment of a pedestrian monitoring network. The Development Programme Office, the Auckland Design Office, AT and Heart of the City are working together on measures to effectively monitor pedestrian activity in the city centre.

48. Heart of the City is working with AT, ATEED and the Wynyard Quarter Transport Management Association to ensure their continued viability now they are an incorporated society.

City Centre Maintenance

49. AT’s Central Road Corridor Delivery team, responsible for street cleaning in the city centre, has allocated additional staff time to managing contractors during the two weeks of the World Masters Games in April. This will result in quicker response times to any street cleanliness issues outside the usual cleaning regime.

50. Council’s Waste Solutions team, responsible for loose litter and rubbish collection, has also made a commitment to quicker response times outside the programmed collection times for the duration of the games.

Delivery

Britomart Streetscapes - Stage 2: Galway Street (east)

51. Construction has begun for Stage 2 (Galway St from Roukai Lane to Britomart Place) of the Britomart streetscapes programme. The project is planned to be completed in July 2017.

Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Place Upgrade

52. Freyberg Place: Two of the three concrete terraces are complete. Paving is continuing up Courthouse Lane to complete the new shared space.

53. The Lord Freyberg statue will be reinstalled back on site within the next couple of weeks.

54. A new Watercare connection is due to take place on High Street in the evening hours.

55. Ellen Melville Centre: Plasterboard lining is continuing on all levels and façade plastering is underway. New clear glazing to replace the blue glass has been installed and the seismic upgrade is near completion.

Myers Park Upgrade – Stage 2

56. The Mayoral Drive Underpass works, including a stormwater detention tank, major public art work and entrance upgrades are being led by the Development Programme Office. Design is complete and a procurement process for a contractor is underway.

57. In February 2016 a full tender was undertaken for the project and a preferred tenderer was identified at that stage, approximately 1 month of value engineering followed with significant input from preferred tenderer at the time. However the tender was not awarded due to a re-design of the project.

58. Following re-design, the preferred tenderer was invited to submit a tender price in a negotiated tender process. However, as the resulting tender price submitted earlier this month was significantly above the quantity surveyor’s estimate, Council has decided to undertake a full re-tender of this project. There is a risk that the tender price after full re-tender may be higher than the budget and scope reduction may have to be considered.

Karangahape Road Streetscape Enhancement and Cycleway

59. AT has approved additional funding of $1.8 million, bringing the combined city centre targeted rate and AT/NZTA funding to $13.5 million. Detailed design services will be tendered in April.

60. The report which documents and responds to feedback on the concept design was distributed to stakeholders on 4 April. Feedback is now being incorporated into the design and further public engagement on design elements such as seating, lighting and landscaping will happen in the middle of this year.

Federal Street upgrade – Stage 2

61. A project lead has been appointed and early stakeholder engagement has commenced for the section between Mayoral Drive and Wellesley Street.

62. The Request for Tender has been issued, design is likely to start in May 2017.

63. St Matthews Church has reviewed and approved the design scope for the works. Communication will continue with the Church as the design team is finalised.

Hobson and Nelson Street upgrade

64. Discussions are progressing with the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) development team, regarding the public realm improvements on Hobson and Nelson Street around the new facility.

65. Initial staging of the streetscape upgrades will be aligned with construction of the NZICC, indicating a potential construction start in late 2017 or early 2018.

Beach Road Maori Artwork

66. Resource consent has been granted for five bronze sculptures of working waka prow that will be located on the existing “waka plinths” between Britomart Place and Tangihua Street.

67. The sculptures were initially planned to be installed in April 2017 but the foundry casting the sculptures is now at full capacity. The sculptures will be cast at the rate of one per month over the next five months and installation is now planned to occur in September.

O’Connell Street Public Art

68. The Arts and Culture team are in the final stages of negotiation with the building owners of 5 and 10 O’Connell Street regarding a license agreement to allow the artwork to be attached to their buildings.

69. The artwork is planned to be installed by July 2017.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

70. The Waitemata Local Board has been engaged with on all City Centre projects that are actively progressing. Specific engagement with the board is included in the project plans for individual projects. The board is generally supportive of the direction being taken.

Māori impact statement

71. Monthly hui are being held throughout 2017 with iwi representatives, with the purpose of seeking mana whenua input into the scoping and design process of City Centre projects.

72. The most recent hui was held in April 2017.

Implementation

73. Prior to the implementation of City Centre projects and initiatives, regular meetings and workshops are held with many stakeholders including the Waitemata Local Board, Heart of the City, K Road Business Association, Learning Quarter stakeholders, iwi and the appropriate Auckland Council committee(s).

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	ACCAB forward meeting planner for May 2017	35

Signatories

Author	Catherine Edmeades - Development Programmes Lead
Authoriser	Ralph Webster - Manager Development Programmes

Auckland City Centre Advisory Board

19 April 2017

Auckland City Centre Masterplan (2012): Delivery and Implementation Progress Update

File No.: CP2017/06285

Purpose

1. To advise the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board of the approach to updating the Implementation Plan for the Auckland City Centre Masterplan (CCMP), as resolved by council’s Planning Committee on 28 March 2017.

2. To seek the board’s feedback on the approach outlined in this report.

Executive summary

3. On 28 March 2017, the Planning Committee resolved an approach and timeline for updating the Implementation Plan for Auckland’s City Centre Masterplan (CCPM).

4. The committee made the following resolutions:

i) Move 6 The Green Link: Connecting Victoria Park, Albert Park and the Auckland Domain as Part of a Blue-Green Park network

ii) Move 1 The Harbour Edge Stitch: Quay Street Harbour Edge and uniting the Waterfront with the City Centre

iii) Move 3 The Engine Room: Queen Street valley, the CBD and Retail District.

i) Victoria Linear Park and Midtown East–West Public Transport

ii) Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard and Hobson Street Flyover

iii) Queen Street - Issue Identification and Project Implications.

5. Ludo Campbell-Reid, Tim Fitzpatrick and Darren Davis, from Council’s Auckland Design Office, and Daniel Newcombe and Liz Halsted, from Auckland Transport, will be attending the meeting to outline the agreed approach to updating the Implementation Plan for the CCMP and will be available to respond to any questions from members.

6. The CCMP was published in 2012, setting out a bold 20 year vision for Auckland’s city centre:

“By 2032 Auckland’s City Centre will be highly regarded internationally as a centre for business and learning, innovation, entertainment, culture and urban living – all with a distinctively ‘Auckland’ flavour.”

7. The CCMP identifies eight transformational Moves and these have informed the projects that have and will take place in the city centre to deliver the vision. The Moves are shown below.

8. The CCMP is a unique cross-cutting document that allows multiple organisations to work towards delivering this vision. The CCMP is highly regarded for being well-illustrated, accessible and engaging. In 2012 it won the New Zealand Institute of Architects Urban Design Award in the Envisaging Projects category.

9. Auckland Transport has recently developed a draft Roads and Street Framework to balance and integrate the intended ‘Place’ and ‘Movement’ aspirations for Auckland’s roads and streets. The Framework is currently being applied to the City Centre streets to provide better alignment between the CCMP vision, place, movement and City Centre transport network.

10. A timely update is needed to the Implementation Plan in order to ensure that it can continue to deliver these eight Moves, the draft Roads and Streets framework and integrate with the work planned in the Waterfront area. Three projects are proposed to deliver this update:

a) Victoria Linear Park and Midtown East–West Public Transport

b) Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard and Hobson Street Flyover

c) Queen Street - Issue Identification and Project Implications

11. Costs for the programme will be approximately $380,000 with at least 40% of this being budgeted internal staff costs. Other departments and Council Controlled Organisations will also need to allocate resources at various times.

Recommendation/s

That the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board:

a) receive the information about the approach and timeline for updating the Implementation Plan for the Auckland City Centre Masterplan for the following three projects:

i) Victoria Linear Park and Midtown East–West Public Transport

ii) Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard and Hobson Street Flyover

iii) Queen Street - Issue Identification and Project Implications

b) provide feedback on the approach outlined in this report.

Comments

12. The CCMP sets out a vision for the future of the city centre. This vision is consistent with the Auckland Plan’s overall ambition of creating the world’s most liveable city and Auckland Transport’s draft Roads and Streets framework.

13. Looking back at the city’s achievements, it is important to take stock of Auckland’s transformation. This time last year, Metro Magazine opined that:

“It’s become so common to be proud of Auckland that we forget how recent the feeling is. But even 10 years ago the prevailing feeling was cynicism.”

Simon Wilson – Metro Magazine March 2016

14. Perception of a city does not change in isolation – this shift in discourse has occurred on the basis of multiple, related steps over time. The CCMP is structured around eight transformational Moves; each one of these containing a sub-set of projects. It also proposed a number of place-based plans within the city centre, for example Aotea Quarter.

15. Progress in the city centre since 2012 includes the following:

Construction has started on City Rail Link; this is the single most important transport project in Auckland. It will increase the two hour morning peak rail capacity by 150% and mean that no part of the city centre is more than 10 minutes from a railway station.

11.1. The city centre is an increasingly popular place to live. In 2012, its population of 27,000 was expected to reach 45,000 by 2032. This figure is in fact likely to be reached in 2017; a full 15 years ahead of predictions. The city centre population is forecast to grow by a further 30,000 over the next 10 years. This is equivalent to 50% of the population of Rotorua relocating to within Auckland’s inner motorway.

11.2. The city centre is an increasingly popular place to live. In 2012, its population of 27,000 was expected to reach 45,000 by 2032. This figure is in fact likely to be reached in 2017; a full 15 years ahead of predictions. The city centre population is forecast to grow by a further 30,000 over the next 10 years. This is equivalent to 50% of the population of Rotorua relocating to within Auckland’s inner motorway.

11.3. The growth in residential population has taken place alongside business growth. Over 10,000 jobs have been created in the city centre since 2012 and more than 100,000 people now work there. This has driven down office vacancy rates to 2.4% (for Grade A properties) – this is a record low.

11.4. Auckland’s highest value commercial land uses (finance, property, investment, legal services, primary retail etc.) take place in a distinct ‘Engine Room’ centred on the northernmost stretch of Queen Street. Since 2012 this has grown stronger and has spilled north and west towards Britomart, Victoria Street West and Wynyard Quarter. Here, former industrial land has been transformed and high-quality public realm is matched by adaptive re-use of old buildings. The development of new Grade-A office space (e.g. ASB headquarters) has contributed to Wynyard’s status as the fastest-growing employment centre in Auckland.

11.5. Significantly, the growth of Auckland’s City Centre has also taken place against a flat lining in private car traffic. More people now live in the city centre than travel in by car. Public transport and active travel have accounted for all increases in trips and now constitute the majority of peak trips into the city centre. This is similar to observed trends in comparable waterfront cities such as Melbourne, Vancouver and Helsinki.

11.6. Investment decisions made since 2012 will see this trend continue. Inbound morning peak public transport capacity is forecast to increase from 35,000 people per hour to more than 60,000 by 2026.

11.7. A similar level of transformation has occurred with regard to cycling. The opening of the Lightpath in 2013 marked a significant increase in ambition and investment. High-quality protected cycle infrastructure has subsequently been delivered along Quay Street, Beach Road and Nelson Street, with other projects to follow, such as Skypath.

11.8. The public realm in central Auckland has had to be rethought in order to enable it to work harder. Once-radical streetscape interventions have now entered the mainstream. Shared space treatments have transformed streets like O’Connell Street into prestigious city centre addresses and inspired confidence in the overall quality of Auckland as a place to live, work and visit. The continued development of the Laneway Circuit will contribute to this. Other achievements include the refurbishment and enhancement of Myers Park in 2015 for its centennial.

11.9. Auckland City Centre has developed over the past five years to provide a unique offer within New Zealand. Its package of a high-quality, high-density urban environment has exceeded all expectations and reflects the underlying strength of the CCMP and balances movement and place.

16. In order for this work to continue, an update to the CCMP implementation plan is needed. There are four main reasons for doing this work now.

12.1 The project provides critical input to current projects under construction, including Commercial Bay, the New Zealand International Conference Centre and City Rail Link’s city centre stations.

12.2 It informs projects that are currently in detailed planning, including:

· The east-west bus corridor options

· Downtown bus interchange

· Light rail planning

· Central Wharves Strategy

· Downtown Public Space Project

· Waterfront Plan refresh.

12.3 It informs the Long-term Plan resource allocation.

12.4 The CCMP includes provision for refreshing the document every six years in order to keep its content relevant and up to date. An update of the Implementation Strategy will help to assess whether a 2018 refresh is required and to what extent or scope. At this time any implications from the Auckland Plan refresh can be considered.

17. Auckland Transport has undertaken an extensive review of the city centre transport networks in the light of emerging travel and transport projects. Known as the City Centre Network Plan (the Network Plan), the proposals for the coming 10 years will result in the reallocation of around 8km of City Centre traffic lanes to walking and cycling, and around 15km of traffic lanes to public transport. Schemes include:

· New Bus Network with supporting bus corridors

· Light rail in Queen Street and Custom Street

· City Rail Link stations

· New cycleways

· Additional pedestrian space, especially around public transport nodes.

18. Although Auckland Transport remains committed to supporting the aspirations of the CCMP, the emerging analysis from Auckland Transport has identified potential conflicts over the balance of movement and place with three key projects adopted in the CCMP. These are:

14.1 Victoria Street Linear Park: This connection forms a critical link in the city centre’s “Blue-Green Park Network” - a public space connecting the waterfront to the middle of the city and linking Victoria and Albert Parks via Victoria Street. AT’s view from updated analysis is that more lanes need to be initially retained to support east-west movement than indicated in the CCMP but Auckland Transport is committed to working with Council on improving both streets.

14.2 Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard: This project forms the backbone to the “Harbour Edge Stitch”, a Move to unite the waterfront with the city centre. Auckland Transport’s plans include a requirement for some bus movements which were not present when the CCMP was developed.

14.3 Hobson Street Flyover removal: This is another proposal within the Harbour Edge Stitch. The existing structure mars the area, creates an unattractive environment and detracts from potential redevelopment of adjacent land such as the Downtown Car Park. Auckland Transport’s analysis recommends converting the flyover to a two-way link with pedestrian and cycle facilities, to enable public transport to operate beneath it.

19. Subsequent to the above work on transport networks, Auckland Transport has developed the draft Roads and Streets Framework which sets the direction for roads and streets in Auckland. It aims to balance and integrate the intended strategic and local ‘Place’ and ‘Movement’ functions of roads and streets, as well as the levels of service for all transport modes, including walking and cycling. Working in partnership with Auckland Council staff, this draft Framework is currently being applied to the City Centre Streets to overcome the place/movement conflicts and support the aspirations of the CCMP and identify the pathway for resolving the potential movement/place conflicts above; including reviewing the transport networks and priorities to support the Place aspirations better.

Scope

20. The updated CCMP Implementation Strategy proposes three projects. Two of these are integrated design studies to unlock the conflict between these projects and the Network Plan. The third will be a high-level exercise to provide critical guidance in this area. These studies will consider the underlying objectives of the CCMP and Network Plan together - identifying options that retain both documents’ intentions.

21. A summary description of each project is provided overleaf. Further details on project components and delivery are provided in the Appendix.

Project 1: Victoria Linear Park and Midtown East-West Public Transport

Working title: Midtown Great Streets

22. The purpose of this project is to undertake reference design studies to identify preferred option for Wellesley and Victoria Streets. This project will be delivered alongside Auckland Transport’s Learning Quarter Bus Project Consultation.

23. Outcomes

17.1 The reference design process will provide the detailed level of operational assessment and economic, financial and commercial analysis required by New Zealand Transport Agency for an Auckland transport project (as prescribed by the Detailed Business Case process).

17.2 Urban Design analysis, including assessment of the options against the benefit to land use and economic development opportunities.

17.3 Illustrated public realm design options allowing an informed, objective and transparent assessment of the options.

24. Timeframe and Costs

18.1 Timeframe: 7 months

18.2 External resource costs: $100,000

Project 2: Quay Street Harbour Edge Boulevard and Hobson Street Flyover

Addressing network changes as part of the Harbour Edge Stitch

25. The purpose is to undertake reference design study to investigate a design-led outcome for the Quay Street Boulevard and Hobson Flyover that includes a wider study area inclusive of the bus public transport and light rail transit network.

26. Outcomes

20.1. Updated vision for high quality, well-connected public realm in this part of Auckland city centre, working within existing decision frameworks, resources and budgets.

20.2. Coordinated delivery of public transport network with high quality public realm to Lower Queen Street, Lower Albert Street, Federal Street and Britomart East and West.

27. Timeframe and Costs

21.1 Timeframe: 3 months.

21.2 External resource costs: $50,000

Project 3: Queen Street - Issue Identification and Project Implications

Background

28. The City Centre Network plan introduced the proposal of light rapid transit into Queen Street and AT is now developing plans for this. A further supporting project is proposed to examine its implications for cross-city connectivity impacts and opportunities, informing the above projects. This first phase will be a high-level study.

29. Outcomes

23.1 A diagrammatic map showing high-level connectivity implications with a brief supporting report to summarise key issues, risks and opportunities.

23.2 Outline of series of potential different approaches for solutions.

23.3 Recommendations for reconfirmation or otherwise of any affected City Centre Masterplan and Targeted Rate projects.

30. Timeframe and Costs

24.1 Timeframe: 4 months.

24.2 External resource costs: $30,000

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

31. The city centre is within the Waitemata Local Board area. There will be deep and ongoing engagement with the local board throughout the update.

32. The specific method for engagement may vary based upon the differences between the each project. For example, examination of the urban design options for the Victoria St/east-west bus corridor may take place alongside ongoing work to understand the movement and place functions of this corridor, which includes various council family stakeholders and the universities. Only one working group will therefore be needed.

33. For Quay Street, the Waitemata Local Board may similarly consider choosing to elect representatives for the project working group. The Quay Street and flyover design study could be undertaken as a special focus team within the existing Downtown Infrastructure Development group.

34. The existing business working group includes Waitemata Local Board representation.

Māori impact statement

35. The CCMP implementation and its contribution to Māori well-being is of interest to Māori. Mana whenua will be involved both in the proposed projects and an engagement programme for partnering with Mana whenua will be established.

36. The update to the CCMP implementation plan will be informed by the Independent Māori Statutory Board’s Schedule of Issues of Significance and the Māori Plan (and its report on outcome indicators). Additional advice will be provided by the Māori Design Leader.

Implementation

Consultation and Engagement

37. Targeted engagement will take place with key partners and stakeholders, including:

· Mana whenua

· Heart of the City

· Auckland City Centre Advisory Board

· Residential Groups

· Panuku Development Auckland

· New Zealand Transport Authority

· Precinct Properties Ltd.

· Cooper and Co. Ltd.

· New Zealand International Conference Centre design team.

Costs

38. The total cost for the update to the City Centre Masterplan Implementation Strategy is approximately $380,000. 40% of this cost is existing staff salaries. The balance is external resource which has been identified against each project. These costs can be covered by existing budgets and it is also proposed to investigate whether any of the City Centre targeted rate budget can be used. It is noted that other staff across the Council family will be asked to input into the work at various times.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Appendix to Auckland City Centre Masterplan (2012): Delivery and Implementation Progress Update	49

Signatories

Authors	George Weeks – Principal Urban Designer, City Centre Design Unit
Authorisers	Ralph Webster - Manager Development Programmes

Members	Viv Beck	Business Improvement District
	Member Shale Chambers	Waitemata Local Board, Auckland Council
	Mr Greg Cohen	Tourism/Travel
	Mr John Coop	Urban design/institute of architects
	Mr Ben Corban	Arts and Cultural Sector
	Mr Terry Cornelius, JP, FCA	Retail sector
	Cr Chris Darby	Auckland Council (Mayor’s alternate)
	Mr Andrew Gaukrodger	Corporate sector
	Mayor Hon Phil Goff, JP	Auckland Council
	Mr Stephen Greenfield	City Centre Residents Group
	Mr Dane Grey	Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
	Mr Mark Kingsford	Corporate sector
	Cr Mike Lee	Liaison councillor, Auckland Council
	Ms Amy Malcolm	Tertiary Education (University of Auckland & Auckland University of Technology)
	Mr Nigel Murphy	Tertiary Education (University of Auckland & Auckland University of Technology)
	Mr Adam Parkinson	City Centre Residents Group
	Mr Michael Richardson	Business Improvement District
	Mr Alex Voutratzis	Property Council of NZ
	Transport representative	(vacant)

Author	Austin Kim - Principal Advisor Panels
Authoriser	Ralph Webster - Manager Development Programmes