File ref: IRO 10409
18 September 2020
Tony Randle
[FYI request #13552 email]
Dear Tony
Information Request: Proposed Spatial Plan
Thank you for your request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (the
Act), received on 19 August 2020. Wellington City Council (the Council)
granted your request for information
on 16 September 2020.
Our responses below are technical, to ensure we have clearly and accurately answered your questions, I have
responded to each one separately. If there is anything you would like to discuss please feel free to contact
the Planning and Growth team o
n [email address]
1) The WCC criteria for determining the size of "a walkable catchment" as outlined under Policy 3(c) of
the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020.
•
The National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) does not legally apply to the
Spatial Plan as it is not a formal Resource Management Act document. It wil apply to the new
proposed District Plan when it is notified in late 2021. The NPS-UD intensification directions have
been incorporated into the Draft Spatial Plan to obtain community feedback on a possible overal
growth pattern, which wil inform the detail of the District Plan. The intensification directions of the
NPS-UD cannot be changed through submissions on the proposed plan when notified.
•
The NPS-UD does not define what a walkable catchment is for the purpose of implementing Policy
3(c).
•
Commonly five minute and ten minute walking catchments or 400m and 800m distances are used in
transport planning and land use planning exercises, including those in other jurisdictions.
•
In the absence of any Government direction on the suitable size for a walkable catchment the
Council has used a mixture of both a five minute and ten minute catchment as a starting point for
discussion and community feedback.
•
The application of five and ten minute catchments is able to be submitted on.
•
The reasons for applying these catchments is answered in questions 13, 14 and 15.
•
These catchments were generated using a network analysis model. This model used a network of
paths and tracks in Wellington City and an average walking speed of 5km/h. Where the
slope/gradient of the path or trackway was not flat, the average walking speed was adjusted.
Officers then adjusted the boundaries produced by the model to street boundaries where this would
result in a more logical walking catchment boundary.
2) The WCC criteria for determining is a public transport stop is a "rapid transit stop" as outlined under
Policy 3(c)(i) of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020.
•
‘Rapid transit service’ and ‘rapid transit stop’ are defined on page eight of the NPS-UD, copied
below:
o ‘
rapid transit service’ means any existing or planned frequent, quick, reliable and high-capacity
public transport service that operates on a permanent route (road or rail) that is largely
separated from other traffic’.
o ‘
rapid transit stop’ means a place where people can enter or exit a rapid transit service,
whether existing or planned’.
• The Council considers that the Johnsonvil e and Kāpiti rail lines and their stations meet the
definitions set out above.
• The Council considers that the potential rapid transit stops which could serve the mass rapid transit
to be delivered through the Let’s Get Wellington Moving Programme (LGWM) wil meet the definition
above.
o The programme business case for the LGWM Mass Rapid Transit project suggests a route
connecting the railway station with the Hospital, Newtown, Miramar and the Airport.
3) The WCC criteria for what areas are a "metropolitan centre zone" as outlined under Policy 3 (c)(i i) of
the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020
• When the new proposed District Plan is notified it must implement the National Planning Standard
(8) Zone Framework Standard.
• The Zone Framework Standard contains a number of commercial and mixed use type zones
equivalent to those included in the operative Wellington City District Plan. As the centres zones in
the Wel ington City District Plan are consistent with those in the Zone Framework Standard a direct
translation is equivalent to a change of name (notwithstanding any up zoning that may be decided).
This change is demonstrated in the table below.
Wel ington
Central
Sub-Regional Town
District
Neighbourhood
City District
Area
Centres
Centres
Centres
Centres
Plan
(Johnsonvil e
and Kilbirnie)
Zone
City Centre Metropolitan
Town centre Local centre Neighbourhood
Framework
Zone
centre zone
zone
zone
centre zone
Standard
4) Each location in Wellington City that is "in city centre zones" as defined by Policy 3 (a) of the
National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 as wel as the building heights and densities
required by Policy 3.
• This is the Central Area Zone of the operative District Plan.
• The Council is stil working through how the direction can be implemented to enable ‘
building
heights and density of urban form to realise as much development capacity as possible’. The
Government wil be releasing guidance on these matters in September 2020.
• The Council’s initial ideas on implementing this direction is publicly available in the Draft Spatial
Plan. They include:
o A minimum building height of six storeys.
o A maximum building height of at least ten storeys in Te Aro.
o Maximum building height of up to eight storeys (i.e. areas along the edge of the city in
Thorndon, Aro Valley, and Mt Victoria.
o No change to maximum building heights from those in the operative district plan
elsewhere within the Central City, including within heritage areas.
• These can be influenced by feedback on the Draft Spatial Plan.
5) Each location in Wellington City that is "in metropolitan centre zones" as defined by Policy 3(b) of the
National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 as wel as the building heights and densities
required by Policy 3.
• As described in the Council’s response to question 3 above, this is equivalent to the sub-regional
centres of Johnsonvil e and Kilbirnie in the operative District Plan.
• The Council’s initial ideas on implementing this direction is publicly available in the Draft Spatial
Plan. They include:
o A maximum building height of eight storeys in Johnsonvil e and Kilbirnie.
• This can be influenced by feedback on the Draft Spatial Plan.
6) Each location in Wellington City that is "within at least a walkable catchment of"..."existing and
planned rapid transit stops" as defined by Policy 3 (c)(i) of the National Policy Statement on Urban
Development 2020 as wel as the building heights and densities required by Policy 3. The evidence
used to support the extent of the walkable catchment for each location is also requested.
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• The Council’s interpretation of rapid transit stop is explained in the response to Question 2.
• The Council’s application of walking catchment is explained in the response to Question 1.
• The locations that are within a five minute walkable catchment of planned and existing rapid
transit stops are mapped and publicly available in the Draft Spatial Plan. See the Map builder
‘NPS-UD affected area’ along the Tawa, and Johnsonvil e rail line and along the indicative mass
rapid transit route through Newtown.
• The Council would like to obtain feedback from the community on these matters and test the
application of the walking catchments model ed.
7) Each location in Wellington City that is "within at least a walkable catchment of"..."the edge of city
centre zones" as defined by Policy 3 (c)(i ) of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development
2020 as wel as the building heights and densities required by Policy 3. The evidence used to
support the extent of the walkable catchment for each location is also requested.
• The City Centre zone is the National Planning Standards (8) Zone Framework Standard name
for the ‘Central Area zone’ in the operative District Plan.
• The Council’s application of walking catchment is explained in the response to Question 1.
• The locations that are within a ten minute walkable catchment of the edge of the city centre zone
are mapped and publicly available in the Draft Spatial Plan. See the map builder ‘NPS-UD
affected area’ which affects the inner suburbs of Aro Valley, Mount Victoria, Mount Cook and
Thorndon.
• As explained in the Draft Spatial Plan:
o The NPS-UD requires our district plan to enable building heights of
at least six
storeys within a
walkable distance of the city centre and metropolitan centres, as well as
existing and planned rapid transit stops. The policy provides an exception to this requirement
in order to consider ‘qualifying matters’, including
special characteristics where there is
sufficient evidence to show that providing for development to the required density would be
inappropriate.
o The Council considers that there is evidence to
support the continued protection of pre-
1930s character on a refined basis and that this meets the criteria of a ‘qualifying matter’
under the NPS-UD. Without this, building heights of at least six storeys would have to be
enabled across the wider inner suburbs. Instead, building
heights of up to three
storeys are proposed in character sub-areas, and a range of four-six storeys is proposed
outside of these sub-areas, within a general character area. Areas outside of the ‘general
character overlay’ and within a walkable catchment from the central city would have building
heights of at least six storeys enabled as required by the NPS-UD 2020. This wil ensure
housing and character are balanced and integrated, while stil providing for change and
growth within the inner suburbs.
• The Council would like to obtain feedback from the community on these matters and test the
application of the walking catchments model ed.
8) Each location in Wellington City that is "within at least a walkable catchment of"..."the edge of
metropolitan centre zones" as defined by Policy 3 (c)(i i) of the National Policy Statement on Urban
Development 2020 as wel as the building heights and densities required by Policy 3. The evidence
used to support the extent of the walkable catchment for each location is also requested.
• The Council’s application of ‘Metropolitan centre’ is explained in response to Question 3.
• The Council’s application of walking catchment is explained in the response to Question 1.
• Responses to Questions 13 and 15 are relevant.
• The locations that are within a ten minute walkable catchment of the edge of the Johnsonvil e
metropolitan centre zone are mapped and publicly available in the Draft Spatial Plan. See the
map builder ‘NPS-UD affected area’ around the edge of the Johnsonvil e Metropolitan centre.
• The Council would like to obtain feedback from the community on these matters and test the
application of the walking catchments model ed.
9) Each location in Wellington City that is under "all other locations in the tier 1 urban environment" as
defined by Policy 3 (d) of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 as well as the
building heights and densities required by Policy 3.
• This is the balance of the Wel ington urban area shown through housing typologies 1,2,3 and 4a
and not already explained in response to these questions.
• This information is mapped and publicly available in the Draft Spatial Plan. See the map builder.
Wellington City Council | 3 of 5
• Also see the ‘Wel ington Outer Suburbs Assessment and Evaluation’ which has informed the
range of housing typologies applied. This is available online:
https://planningforgrowth.wellington.govt.nz/resources1/documents
10) Each location in Wellington City that the WCC considers that it is necessary to modify the building
height or densities in order to provide for a qualifying matter under Policy 4 of the National Policy
Statement on Urban Development 2020 including, for each location:
o The qualifying matter including a copy of the evaluation report prepared under section 32 of the
Act in relation to the proposed amendment
o The alternative building heights and densities proposed.
• This question is answered by the Council’s response to Question 7. The Council also does not
propose any changes to the present heights in central area heritage areas, which would meet the
criteria as a qualifying matter under the NPS-UD.
• A section 32 has not yet been prepared. It is not required for the Spatial Plan. Section 32 evaluation
reports must and wil be prepared when the proposed District Plan is notified.
11) The Housing demand assessment for each location in Wel ington City including:
o The current number of each dwel ing type.
o The short term, medium term and long-term demand for additional housing including by dwel ing
type.
• This is the Wellington Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment. It is
available here:
https://planningforgrowth.wel ington.govt.nz/resources1/documents
12) The housing development capacity for each location in Wellington City that is plan-enabled
including:
a) whether the location is plan-enabled; plan-enabled and infrastructure-ready; or plan-enabled
and infrastructure-ready and reasonably expected to be realised
b) the development capacity quantified as numbers of dwellings of different types in the short,
medium and long-term
c) that the WCC is satisfied there is adequate existing development infrastructure
d) if there is not adequate existing development infrastructure, identify what the infrastructure
deficiencies are and confirm that the WCC is satisfied the additional infrastructure to service
development capacity is likely to be available.
e) If this information is held in electronic form, then it is preferred that it is provided in its complete
and original electronic format.
• Information regarding points 12 a, b and c is already publicly available in the Wellington Regional
Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment can be found here:
https://planningforgrowth.wellington.govt.nz/resources1/documents
• Two further reports were commissioned by the Council from Wellington Water Limited that estimated
the three waters infrastructure costs. One was undertaken in 2019 and modelled possible costs of
upgrading infrastructure to meet development capacity needs based on the ‘inner city focus’ and
‘suburban centres’ growth scenarios in the 2019 Planning for Growth consultation. This report was
updated in 2020 to include Miramar and Hataitai which were identified as possible growth areas in
the Outer Suburbs Evaluation report. Prior to finalising the Spatial Plan the Council intends to obtain
updated estimates which wil incorporate the NPS-UD direction implications.
• The reports can be found here:
o
https://planningforgrowth.wellington.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/13516/WCC-
Spatial-Planning-Three-Waters-Project-Final-29-10-2019.pdf
o
https://planningforgrowth.wellington.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/13505/Addendum-
Report_WCC-Spatial-Plan-Outer-Suburbs-March20-_Final.pdf
13) The criteria used to specify why Tawa railway station is to have ten minute walkable catchments
while Linden Railway Station and the Johnsonvil e Line railway stations are to have five minute
walkable catchments along with the evidence to support the application of this criteria.
• This is available online on the Planning for growth website.
o The requirement to enable building heights of at least six storeys within at least a walkable
catchment of rapid transit stops means a larger degree of intensification in the fol owing areas:
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Tawa, Redwood, Linden, Johnsonvil e, Khandallah, Ngaio and Crofton Downs. Further work is
being undertaken around Kenepuru Station. The
Draft Spatial Plan includes the fol owing:
At least six storeys buildings within a ten minute walking catchment of the Johnsonvil e
railway station and the edge of the centre;
At least six storeys buildings within a ten minute walking catchment of the Tawa railway
station; and
At least six storey buildings within a five minute walking catchment of al other railway
stations.
• The Council used a ten minute walking catchment from the Johnsonvil e railway station and centre,
and from the Tawa railway station because the wide range amenities such as public facilities,
commercial and retail activities and services nearby have more potential to support growth and help
facilitate a well-functioning urban environment. For other stations on the Johnsonvil e and Tawa
railway lines, five minute walking catchments have been used reflecting the comparatively smaller
range of amenities. The application of these walking catchment ranges is open to community
feedback.
14) The specification for the walkable catchment for the Johnsonvil e metropolitan centre zone, the
criteria used to specify this catchment area and the evidence used to support the application of this
criteria.
• See the response to Question 13 above.
15) The specification for the walkable catchment for the Kilbirnie metropolitan centre zone, the criteria
used to specify this catchment area and the evidence used to support the application of this criteria.
• Kilbirnie is presently identified as a Sub-Regional Centre in the operative District Plan. This equates
to a metropolitan centre in the national planning standards and for the application of the NPS-UD.
• The Council model ed a ten minute walkable catchment from the edge of the centre boundary using
the same model ing applied to the Johnsonvil e Metropolitan centre.
• As explained on the Planning for Growth website:
o In Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay, there are a number of hazard issues relating to sea level rise,
flooding, ground shaking, liquefaction and tsunami. The Council considers these hazards to be
relevant ‘qualifying matters’ under the
NPS-UD. This may mean enabling building heights of at
least six storeys required by the
NPS-UD (because it is a metropolitan centre) is not appropriate
across these areas. The Council needs to do further work to ful y understand the implications of
these hazards on the level of risk for development in these areas beyond what is already
proposed. This wil inform future decisions about what level of intensification is appropriate.
• The Draft Spatial Plan does not presently apply intensification direction Policy 3(c)(i ) of the NPS-UD
to Kilbirnie for the reasons outlined above.
16) The criteria for specifying the walkable catchment for Medium density housing (type 3): 3-4 storey
small apartment housing adjacent to suburban centres.
• The Type 3 housing typology was not based solely on a walkable catchment basis. It was based on
a heat map of amenity ‘enablers’ and hazards. A full explanation of the methodology and criteria can
be found in the Outer Suburbs Evaluation report available online:
https://planningforgrowth.wellington.govt.nz/resources1/documents
Right of review
If you are not satisfied the Council’s response to your requests and matters raised, you may choose to make
a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman. Further information is available on the Ombudsman website,
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Thank you again for your request. I trust this information is of assistance to you.
Kind regards
Asha Harry
Assurance Advisor
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