🗞️ 🤔 NBR reports on Auckland Council going back to the drawing board for Development Contributions
Andrew Barker KC engaged by Subdivision Advocacy NZ Ltd, reviewed the outcomes of a report by Urban Economics advices that Council has potentially committed an Error of Law due to assumptions, high consulting costs allowed for, hight contingencies etc…
Of course Council doesn’t agree… but personally I disagree with Council because I have read ALL of the reports and the review of the Drury advice they received… there is a difference between ‘consider’ and reasonable action…
Because one person says it IS safe to jump off a cliff WITHOUT a parachute where others say it ISN’T safe, does NOT make it safe… it would be ‘unreasonable’ to jump of the cliff without a parachute even considering the advice given.
To me, their DCs read as if they were motivated by maximising their revenue not delivering the right infrastructure at the right time — why else would they push delivery of roading and transport 28 years out when the houses are due now? Do you see new homeowners wanting to live in gridlock on metal roads? Yeah, nah!
And besides, there is a serious LACK of benchmarking against private sector costs…
https://www.nbr.co.nz/infrastructure/tanks-but-no-tanks-as-council-goes-back-to-dc-drawing-board/
A good report by Brent Melville
