13 September 2022
Official Information Request No. 8140010760
(Please quote this in any correspondence)
Adam Parkinson
By email –
[FYI request #20286 email]
Tēnā koe Adam,
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)
Re: Friend of submitter Plan Change 78
Thank you for your email which we received on 19 August 2022.
The specific details of your request and our response are set out below.
My request is for the Terms of Reference for this service, the contract terms agreed
upon to aecom for this service, the budget al ocated to this, and where this budget is
being al ocated from in council for this service, and who approved this expenditure.
I would also like to know how potential conflicts of interest wil be managed.
I want to know why council decided to find external providers for this service.
(and obviously, at what cost).
As requested, we have provided our below response from the Auckland Council’s
perspective. If you want further information from the EPA we are happy to transfer the
request on your behalf or alternatively you can contact EPA directly.
The friends of submit er service is one that is funded directly by central government and is
understood to be a service contracted independently into all tier one territorial areas in the
country for each of their Intensification Planning Instrument plan changes and subsequent
hearings processes. There is no cost to Auckland Council from this service. The terms of
reference and contract information is held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as
a Crown agent of the Ministry for the Environment.
Whilst council staff were involved in initial discussions with the EPA on the merits of possible
planning consultants and firms to provide the service, all terms of reference and contract
discussions have been held directly between the EPA and AECOM.
On the conflict of interest matter it is understood that the AECOM planning staff providing the
independent friends of submitter service wil not separately be involved with the plan change
78 submissions or hearings process for clients
Decisions relating to the information that is being released to you were made by
John
Duguid, General Manager Plans and Places, Chief Planning Office.
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this response by the Ombudsman.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you have any questions please contact me at
[email address].
Ngā mihi
Kelly Harnett
Privacy & LGOIMA Business Partner
Democracy Services
Private Bag 92300, Auckland 1142 |
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |
Ph 09 301 0101