July2021
SubmissiontoTeTūāpapaKuraKāinga–MinistryofHousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD)onthedevelopmentoftheGovernmentPolicyStatementonHousingandUrbanDevelopment(GPS-HUD).
Introduction
TheNewtownResidents'AssociationistheIncorporatedSocietyrepresentingNewtownandthesurroundingsuburbs.Weareanactivelocalgroupofresidentsandbusinesspeople,concernedwithmaintainingandimprovingourarea’sliveability,connectednessandsustainabilityandworkingtomakeourcommunityathriving,diverse,greatplacetolive.
TheAssociationhasahistoryofpositiveurbandesignactionandactiveplacemaking.AssociationmembershavebeenveryengagedandinvolvedwithsuccessiveiterationsoftheWellingtonCityCouncilDistrictPlan,andhelpedtocreateanurbandesignguideforthearea.Thedesignerswholedacommunitybasedurbandesignprojectinthe90’s,whichhascreatedtheveryliveableandwalkableRiddifordStdesign,wereAssociationmembers.Wehaveapartyeveryyeartocelebratethiscommunityengagement,theNewtownFestival,stillgoingstrong25yearslater.Thefirststreetfestivalhappenedasacelebrationofthatproject’scompletion.
OurBuiltEnvironmnet
NewtownisasuburbofWellingtonwherethenarrowresidentialstreetsarepackedwithprimarilyoneortwostoreytimberhomesonsmallsections.BecauseoftheproximitytoWellingtonCityandtoapublictransportcorridorthemajorityofthisareaisnowregardedbyWellingtonCityCouncilasbeingsubjecttotheNPS-UDrequirementforenabling6storeybuildings.Therewillbemanycommunitiesthroughoutthecountryinasimilarsituation.
Submission
WehavechosentomaketheAssociation’ssubmissioninthiswrittenformasthepointswewanttomakedon’tfitneatlyintotheformatofthesurvey.
TheGPS-HUDVision:
“OurvisionisthateveryoneinAotearoaNewZealandlivesinahealthy,safe,secure,andaffordablehomethatmeetstheirneeds,withinathriving,inclusiveandsustainablecommunity.”
Wethoroughlyagreewiththisvision.IndeedweagreewithalmostalltheAspirationalOutcomes,theFocusAreasandtheWaysofWorking.
WeparticularlyresonatewiththeAspirationalOutcome#1forThrivingcommunities:
“Everyoneislivinginhomesandcommunitiesthatmeettheiremployment,education,socialandculturalwellbeingneedsandaspirations—placesthatareaffordable,connected,environmentallysustainable,safe,andinclusive.”
Howeverweareconcernedthatthedetailofthedocumentdoesnotdemonstratehowtoensuretheseoutcomes.TheGPS-HUD,theNPS-UDandthecomingNaturalandBuiltEnvironmentActshouldallbealigned,butthereareaspectsoftheNPS-UDwhichareincompatiblewiththeGPS-HUDaspirations,asdescribedbelowunder‘Placemaking’.AstheNaturalandBuiltEnvironmentActisstillbeingdevelopedthereisanopportunitytomakesurethattheActandtheGPS-HUDareinagreement,butthereareaspectsofthecurrentNBEAexposuredraftwhichcallthisintoquestion.
ThemesintheGPS-HUD
Therearethemesthreadedthroughthedifferentsectionsoftheconsultationdocument.Inparticulartherearemanyreferencestopartnershipandcommunitybasedplacemaking,andalsotosustainability.Thissubmissionexploresthepracticalimplicationsofthesethemes.
Placemaking
Onpage65oftheGPS-HUDconsultationdocumentweread:
“Ngāwhakahoahoaā-wāhi
Place-basedapproaches“
“Aone-size-fits-allsolutionforhousingandurbandevelopmentwillnotdeliverthethrivingcommunitieswewant.”Thisfollowsonto“…wewillbetakingaplace-basedapproachtopolicyandinterventionsthatrecognisesthatlocalconditions,partnerships,andsolutionsareintegraltodesigninginterventionsthatwork.”
Westronglyagreewiththesestatements,butourexperienceisthattheNPS-UDcanindeedbeusedasa“onesizefitsallsolution”toincreasingurbandensity.
Onpage32theconsultationdocumentsays
“Ourvisionisaboutmorethanbuildinghouses.WewantthepeopleofAotearoaNewZealandtoliveinhomesincommunitiesthatsupportwellbeing,andthatrequiresustomaintainafocusonplacemaking.”Andonpage48–“Townsandcitieswillonlygrowwellwhenpeople,communitiesandinstitutionsareconnectingandcollaboratingearly,learningfromthepastandfromeachother,andsharingknowledgetoplanforgrowthandchange(forexample,naturalresourcesarerespectedandcaredforaslivingtupunainteaoMāori).”
OurResidents’Associationhasfocussedonplacemakingovermanyyears.Westronglysupportincreasedurbandensity,andareadvocatesfortheconceptsof‘densitydonewell’.Inourlocalcommunitywehavespentagreatdealoftimeidentifyinggoodlocationsfor6storeydevelopments.Thesedevelopmentswouldbefocussedonunder-utilisedcommercialandindustrial‘brownfield’sites,mostlyintheNewtownSuburbanCentre,andhavethepotentialtoprovideover2000newhomes.WerecommendedtoWellingtonCityCouncilthatthesedevelopmentsshouldbesupported,andthatdevelopmentsintheresidentialstreetsshouldrespectthehumanscaleoftheneighbourhoodandshouldmostlyberestrictedto3storeys;therewillbemoreaboutthereasonsforthisunder‘sustainability’.OurattemptstoengagewiththeCouncilincollaborativeplanningaboutthishavebeenunsuccessful.ThemajorityofourresidentialareaisregardedbyWellingtonCityCouncilasbeingsubjecttotheNPS-UDrequirementforenabling6storeybuildingsandthisisreflectedintheirdecisionsabouttheSpatialPlan.TheSpatialPlanhasyettobetranslatedintoanewDistrictPlan.
WewouldliketheGovernmenttofindasolutionforthedilemmaofincreasingurbandensity,inthespiritoftheNPS-UD,withoutallowingtheNPS-UDrequirementstoobliteratethepotentialforlocalplacemaking.
Partnership
Alsoonpage65oftheconsultaiondocumentweread:
“Ngāhonongapono,honongamauroa
Genuineandenduringpartnership
Maximisingthebenefitsofhousingandurbandevelopmentrequiresproactiveandgenuinecollaborationbetweennumerousorganisations.
GovernmentiscommittedtoexpandingourcapacitytonurtureourrelationshipwithiwiandMāoriasourTeTiritioWaitangipartnerandareessentialtogeneratingtherighthousingandurbanoutcomesmovingforwards.
Governmentalsoneedstopursuemeaningfulandrealrelationshipswithlocalgovernment,industry,non-governmentorganisations,localvoices,andvoicesoflivedexperience.[ouritalics].
ItisparticularlyimportantthatKāingaOradevelopsgenuineandenduringpartnershipstodeliverthebestoutcomesforcommunities.
Acrossourworkwewillpursuepartnershipsandrelationshipsforpeopleandplaces,leveragingtheknowledgeandconnectionsthatcomewithbeingapartoftheCrown.
Governmentagencieswillworkmorecloselywitheachothertoaligninvestmentandoutcomestherebymaximisingtheimpactthatgovernmentinterventioncanmakeinplacesandforpeople.”
ThissubmissionstronglysupportsthegoalofincludingiwiandMāoriinplanning,andnothingwesayisintendedtocutacrossordiminishtheimportanceoftheTreatypartners.
HoweverweobservethatthissectionisaboutGovernmentagencieshavingcontroloftheprocess,andthefocusisprimarlyonpartnershipsbetweenGovernmentDepartments,LocalGovernment,developers,communityhousingprovidersandsimilarorganisations.
Weaskthatthe‘waysofworking’aroundpartnershipsincludemuchgreaterrecognitionofthe“localvoices,andvoicesoflivedexperience”.Theseareacknowledgedinthepolicybutthereisverylittlesaidabouthowtoutilisetheexpertiseandexperienceofexistingcommunities.Unlessthisisputintopracticethegoalsonlocalplacemakingcannotbeachieved.
Sustainability
Theimportanceofsunshine
Assurancesaboutsustainabilityarethreadedthroughtheconsultationdocument.HowevertheGPS-HUD,theNPS-UDandthecomingNaturalandBuiltEnvironmentalActmaynotbealignedinwaysthatachievethesegoals.Aparticularconcernisthatconceptssuchas‘amenityvalues’tendtoberegardedasbarrierstourbanintensification.TheyarelikelytobedroppedfromtheNBEAanddisregardedinplanningrules.
Oneofthekey‘amenityvalues’hastraditionallybeentheprotectionofaccesstosunlight.Westronglyadvocateforsunlightbeinganextremelyimportantaspectofwell-being,andacompellingreasonforDistrictPlansallowingresourceconsentstolimittheheightofnewbuildingsandtohaveotherprovisionstopreventexcessiveanddamagingshadingonexistinghomes.Sunlightisn’tjusta‘nicetohave’,particularlywhentheexistinghousingstockishomesbuiltofnativetimbers.Themajorityofthesehomesinourareaarewarmanddrywhentheyarewellmaintained,buttheyneedsunlighttokeepthemthatway.Amoredetailedanalysisofthiscanbefoundasanappendixattheendofthissubmission
Thereisnooverallbenefittotheprovisionofsustainablehousingifnewdevelopmentsofwarm,dryapartmentsleadtowidespreaddeteriorationoftheexistinghomes.Thisoutcomeisnotmerespeculation,thishasalreadyhappenedwhenhighrisedevelopmentswereallowedintheWellingtonsuburbofTeArointhe1970s.Thiswasoneofthefactorsthatledtoourcurrentplanningrules.Nooneexpectsnewdevelopmentstotakeoverthewholeareaininnercitysuburbs,infactuptakefiguresaslowas14%ofavailablesiteshavebeenmentioned,butifthenewdevelopmentsareoutofscalewiththesurroundinghousingtheeffectsofshadewillmeanthathomesthatarewarmanddrynowriskbecomingcoldanddamp,reducingthequalityoflifeandaffectingthehealthofoccupantsofallagesintheseneighbouringflatsandhomes.Wealsonotethatifexistinghomesareallowedtobecomeshadedthenmoreenergywillbeneededtokeepthemwarmanddry,andsolarpanelsonthesehomeswillnotbeabletooperateasintended,alldiminishingenvironmentalsustainability.
Theenvironmentaleffectsofdemolitionandrebuilding
Onpage68,under‘action’theconsultationdocumentrecommends
“Agenciesworkingtogethertodevelopandimplementdata,evidenceandtoolstounderstandclimateimpactsofhousingandurbandevelopment,andoperationalandembodiedemissionsresultingfrompolicy,investmentandplanningdecisions.”
Weagreethatthisiscruciallyimportant,butagainotheraspectsofhousingpolicyhavegoneaheadofthisunderstanding.NPS-UDexpectstoreduceemissionsfromtransportbyenablingurbandensificationwithinwalkingdistanceofpublictransportroutesandcommercialcentres.Howeverthereisalotofdemolitionandnewbuildingrequiredintheseplansandnewbuilding,particularlyhighrise,isverycarbonintensive.
Ontheotherhandtheexistingoldhousesbuiltofnativetimbersrepresentagreatdealofembodiedenergyandsequesteredcarbon.Manyhavebeenadaptedandupgradedovertime,whichismoreenvironmentallysustainablethanreplacingthem.Alsothesebuildingsareresilientandhavesurvived100+yearsofearthquakesinWellington,whilethedamagefromrecentearthquakeshasledtoseveralcomparativelynewbuildingsbeingdemolished.
Wewouldliketoseemuchmoreemphasisonunderstandingthecomplexitiesoftheclimateimpactofhousingandurbandevelopment,asabove.Weunderstandthatbothnationallyandinternationallythereisincreasinginterestintheadaptivereuseofexistingbuildings,andwewouldliketoseethisexploredfurther.
Inconclusion
Thankyoufortheopportunitytomakethissubmission.TheoverallvisionandgoalsofthisproposedGovernmentPolicyStatementalignwithvaluesthatwestronglyagreewith,butweaskthattheGovernmentmakessurethatallthepoliciesthatguidehousingandurbandevelopmentsupportactionsthatmakeitpossibletorealisethesegoals.
RhonaCarson
PresidentNewtownResidents’Association
Appendix–theimportanceofsunshine.
TheNPS-UDallowslocalauthoritiestotakeintoaccountSocial,Economic,EnvironmentalandCulturalqualifyingfactorswhendecidingthelandtobezonedforintensification.
SUNSHINE
Sunlightisimportantforwarmthandwellbeing.Thatitwon’tmatteriftallapartmentbuildingscastshadeacrosslotsoflowrisehomesisanideafromacontinentalclimate.InthelikesofcontinentalNewYork,Paris,Milan,orMelbournetheclimatecanbesohotinsummerthatyouwanttoescapethesunandbeintheshade,andinwintertimeitissocoldthesunwon’twarmyouupanyway.InWellington’stemperatecoastalclimatewithitshighhumidity,directsunshineisimportantsummerandwinter,it’sthenaturalcarbonzeroenginethatpowersthesurvivalandwellbeingofourexistingtimberstructures,livingplantsandourpeople[tenantsandownersequally].InWellingtonpeopleseldomgatherintheshadewheninthesunisanoption.Becauseweareacoolerclimatemanypeoplearen’tawareofhowhighourhumidityis.*
Theverycloselypackedwoodenhousesonsmallsectionsofthecharacterinnersuburbswiththeirsmallgardensandtrees,formsuchatightdenseconfigurationtheeffectivegroundplaneisoften1-2storeysaboveactualgroundlevel.Muchofthehousingstockwerebuiltsoclosetogethertheyonlyreceivesunshineontwosidesandontheirroofduringthecourseofaday.ManyoftheexistingdwellingsinNewtownareaccessible,haveprovenresilienttoearthquakesandstorms.They’readaptablehousingstocksupportingmultigenerationalfamiliesfromdiverse
culturalbackgrounds.Theexistingneighbourhoodsandtheirgreeneryareanecosystemlikealivingbreathingorganism,partofthelungsofthecity.
Themassofestablishedbuildingsandtheirgardenvegetationdependonsunshineforsurvival.90to150yearoldwoodenhousesareallbuiltoutofuntreatedheartnativetimbersthatrelyonbeingwarmanddrytonotgrowmouldandrot.Sunshineisessentialtotheirsurvival.Provenoveracenturythecommunityofhomesisafitwithitssolarinput.Althoughsomethataretoodampremainandneedtobefixeduporreplaced,moststructureswheretheconditionsweretoodamphavealreadyrottedoutandbeenreplaced.Overthedecades,theimportanceofsunlightfortheoccupantsandthestructureshasbeenunderstood,acknowledgedandsupportedbythedaylightenveloperulesandheightlimitsintheDistrictPlan.
Addinsixstoreytallapartmentbuildingsblockingthesunshineacrossanexistinginnercityneighbourhoodthenthatneighbourhoodwillbecomecolderand,becauseofourhighhumidity,damper,shadedtreesandgardenswillceasetothrive,theexistingaccessible,adaptable,resilienthousingstockwillbegintorotanddecay.Spatialplanningfortheseexistingfunctioningcommunitiesoftenantsandownersneedstoconsiderasqualifyingfactorstheirnaturalrenewableenergyneeds,theircurrentfunctionality,theirembodiedenergyandtheirsequesteredcarbon.
∗ 82%humidityat3pmWed9thJune,abrightsunnyautumn-likeday
∗ 87%humidityat6pmTues8thJune,acloudyday.
∗ 100%humidityformostofMon7thJune(butnorain!),lowcloudmostoftheday