A joint initiative to make district plans more accessible to the public as well as planners has achieved the supreme accolade at this year’s New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) awards
The New Plymouth District Council’s Draft Digital District Plan – developed in conjunction with Isovist Planning – won both the award for Best Practice District/ Regional Planning Guidance and the NZPI’s supreme award, the Nancy Northcroft Award.
The Draft Digital District Plan, which was compiled directly into an e-plan, is the first of its kind in New Zealand and paves the way for other local district councils to go digital.
NZPI Chief Executive David Curtis says the judges drew attention to how the project “displayed innovative and creative excellence in planning and tapped into cutting-edge digital technologies in order to facilitate easier access.
“The project demonstrates a commitment to emerging technologies and how it can be used to positively impact the way planners and homeowners interact with Council.
“The project teams’ commitment to finding a relevant and useful solution promotes continued public interest and participation.”
Other key awards related to infrastructure planning in Curio Bay, a toolkit designed to help Maori landowners and a project plan for the Onehunga regeneration led by the Auckland Council.
Commenting at the end of NZPI’s conference in Tauranga, Curtis said the top three planning issues addressed were water quality and allocation, rapid urbanisation and the effects of growth on housing, infrastructure, and social equity, and the impact of natural hazards and climate change.
Agri-food disruption, housing supply, biodiversity offsetting, new technologies and the implications of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity were also on the agenda.
More than 500 delegates attended the conference.
In addition to planners and resource management practitioners, this included industry leaders, iwi, designers, scientists, members of the legal profession and judiciary, and local and central government representatives.
The NZPI conference, which has been held annually since 1964, tapped into the considerable learnings of international speakers who shared their insights and best-practice approaches to key issues.
NZPI 2018 AWARDS SUMMARY
Nancy Northcroft Supreme Planning Practice Award and Best Practice District/ Regional Planning
PROJECT: Building a Digital District Plan
AWARD WINNERS: New Plymouth District Council
______ ______.__._____Isovist Ltd
Best Practice District or Regional Plan
PROJECT: Na Unlock Avondale High Level Project Plan
AWARD WINNER: Panuku Development Auckland
Best Practice Integrated Planning and Investigations
PROJECT: Curio Bay Tumu Toka Infrastructure Collaboration
AWARD WINNERS: Opus International Consultants Ltd
______ _____.____.____Southland District Council
______ _____.____.____South Catlins Charitable Trust
______ _____.____.____Department of Conservation
Best Practice Consultation and Participation Strategies and/or Processes
PROJECT: Manurewa Takanini Papakura integrated area plan
AWARD WINNER: Auckland Council
Best Practice Non-Statutory Planning
PROJECT: Te Tai Tokerau Papakainga Toolkit
AWARD WINNERS: Barker & Associates
______ ___._____._____Far North District Council
______ ____.____._____Kaipara District Council
______ _____.___._____Northland Regional Council
______ _____.___._____Whangarei District Council
Rodney Davies Project Award
PROJECT: Ponsonby Countdown & Mixed-use Development (Vinegar Lane)
AWARD WINNERS: Zomac Planning Solutions Ltd
______ _____.____.____Progressive Enterprises Ltd
______ _____.____.____Isthmus Group
______ _____.____.____Russell McVeagh
Distinguished Service Award
AWARD WINNER: William Thomas (Bill) Wasley
Lance Leikis NZPI Young Planner Award
AWARD WINNER: Ying Liu
John Mawson Award of Merit
AWARD WINNERS: Associate Professor Caroline Miller
______ ________.._____Dr Lee Beattie
