Latest news with #UnitaryPlan
1News
12 hours ago
- 1News
Property owners fined for 'serious' breaches of RMA, Building Act
Three property owners have been convicted and fined for knowingly allowing unconsented minor dwellings to remain on their Auckland properties for years. Yuanhua Li, Chao Ma, and Yan Ma were sentenced in Auckland District Court for serious and prolonged breaches of the Resource Management Act and the Building Act, involving unconsented dwellings at properties in Mission Bay and Northcote. They failed to comply with abatement and enforcement notices, after knowingly allowing unconsented minor dwellings to remain on properties at 2 Prebble Place, Mission Bay and 12 Exmouth Rd, Northcote for over four years. The properties in question were in residential zones governed by Auckland's Unitary Plan, which sets limits on the number and size of dwellings to ensure liveable, safe environments. The unconsented works breached both zoning limits and minimum dwelling size requirements. Judge Dickey said the defendants' culpability ranged from moderate to high. ADVERTISEMENT The unconsented minor dwelling pictured at 12 Exmouth Road, Northcote. (Source: Auckland Council) "The offending occurred over several years, there were a number of notices, and there was extensive delay in complying. This was serious offending. "Statutory notices were ignored while rental income was derived from unlawful dwellings. Not only was the Unitary Plan breached, but so was the Building Act, raising concerns about health and safety." Li was convicted and fined $22,750, Chao Ma $13,000, and Yan Ma $7000. The court heard that despite being repeatedly notified through abatement and "Notice to Fix" orders from Auckland Council, the defendants failed to remove or legalise the illegal dwellings. Instead, they continued to profit from the properties while disregarding their legal responsibilities. Council prosecutor John Kang described the defendants' conduct as "cavalier". "The defendants were given every opportunity to comply but chose not to. Their actions showed a clear disregard for planning and building laws designed to protect communities. A deterrent sentence was warranted." ADVERTISEMENT The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a push to lift our superannuation age, rising Middle East tensions, and Auckland's amateur footballers face off against global giants. (Source: 1News) Kang also told the Court the defendants were not typical homeowners, but wealthy investors with eight Auckland properties. "This was commercially motivated offending," he said. "A moderate fine is unlikely to significantly affect them, but it's important we send a message that compliance is not optional." Auckland Council's field operations manager David Pawson said the behaviour was "deliberate, unacceptable and will not be tolerated". "Ignoring legal orders while collecting rental income is not just unfair, it undermines the integrity of the planning system. Auckland Council will prosecute without fear or favour to protect our communities and uphold the law," he said. Pawson emphasised the importance of following proper processes to ensure buildings are safe, lawful, and respectful of community planning outcomes.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Experienced Property Owners Convicted For Persistent RMA Breaches Across Auckland Homes
Three property owners have been convicted and fined in the Auckland District Court for serious and prolonged breaches of the Resource Management Act and the Building Act involving unconsented dwellings at two Auckland addresses, one in Mission Bay, the other in Northcote. Yuanhua Li, Chao Ma, and Yan Ma were sentenced by Judge Dickey for their failure to comply with abatement and enforcement notices, after knowingly allowing unconsented minor dwellings to remain on their properties at 2 Prebble Place, Mission Bay and 12 Exmouth Road, Northcote for over four years. Judge Dickey said the defendants' culpability ranged from moderate to high. 'The offending occurred over several years, there were a number of notices, and there was extensive delay in complying. This was serious offending. 'Statutory notices were ignored while rental income was derived from unlawful dwellings. Not only was the Unitary Plan breached, but so was the Building Act, raising concerns about health and safety.' Ms Li was convicted and fined $22,750, Mr Chao Ma $13,000, and Mr Yan Ma $7,000. The court heard that despite being repeatedly notified through abatement and 'Notice to Fix' orders from Auckland Council, the defendants failed to remove or legalise the illegal dwellings. Instead, they continued to profit from the properties while disregarding their legal responsibilities. Council prosecutor John Kang described the defendants' conduct as 'cavalier'. 'The defendants were given every opportunity to comply but chose not to. Their actions showed a clear disregard for planning and building laws designed to protect communities. A deterrent sentence was warranted.' Mr Kang also told the Court the defendants were not typical homeowners, but wealthy investors with eight Auckland properties. 'This was commercially motivated offending,' he said. 'A moderate fine is unlikely to significantly affect them, but it's important we send a message that compliance is not optional.' The properties in question are in residential zones governed by Auckland's Unitary Plan, which sets clear limits on the number and size of dwellings to ensure liveable, safe environments. The unconsented works breached both zoning limits and minimum dwelling size requirements. David Pawson, Auckland Council's Field Operations Manager, said the case is a reminder the council will hold property owners accountable. 'This kind of behaviour is deliberate, unacceptable and will not be tolerated. 'Ignoring legal orders while collecting rental income is not just unfair, it undermines the integrity of the planning system. Auckland Council will prosecute without fear or favour to protect our communities and uphold the law.' Mr Pawson also emphasised the importance of following proper processes to ensure buildings are safe, lawful, and respectful of community planning outcomes. This prosecution reinforces Auckland Council's commitment to enforcing the Unitary Plan and the Building Act to maintain safe, sustainable development throughout the city.
NZ Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Auckland at 15: Progress and possibilities
The sign of maturity however is the content. As well as important conversations on transport funding and refuse collection, we're tackling regional issues like fairer and more sustainable community funding, investment in infrastructure and how we remain a world-class city for tourism and events. All while keeping rates increases comparatively low nationally. When I was asked to reflect on 15 years of progress and possibilities to mark Auckland at 15, my mind went back to when the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance was established and the process for one council for Tāmaki Makaurau began. Getting to day one of Auckland Council was a herculean effort – eight councils; eight workforces; eight sets of systems. Add to that an election, a Mayor for all of Auckland, creating 21 local boards, a first budget and the region's first CCOs. The first few years were a rollercoaster ride of seeing to the commitments of legacy councils, learning how to think more regionally while still acting locally, and streamlining to reduce duplication, realise economies of scale and deliver value for money to ratepayers. The lights stayed on, the rubbish got collected, the grass was mowed and our public were patient with us. Aucklanders embraced being able to take a book out in Pukekohe and return it in Wellsford. Youngsters' sports games stopped being cancelled as we invested regionally in sports field capacity. We have revitalised town centres, delivered ambitious capital works programmes year after year, invested in long-term infrastructure programmes and welcomed more than 300,000 new Aucklanders into our region – the populations of Hamilton and Dunedin combined. Our financial strategy has focused on addressing historical under-investment in infrastructure and services, while providing a for a growing city. Since 2010, our asset base has grown by $40 billion to $74b, with net debt only increasing by $7.5b. We have trebled the amount that we're spending on infrastructure to get ahead of that historic underspend. And, if I add up our savings year on year over the last 15, it totals $2.9b. This comes from efficiencies, solid workforce planning, sheer determination to deliver better value for every dollar spent and investing our gains into making the city better. Auckland's Unitary Plan has enabled greater integration of regional and district planning, and our natural and physical resources. Between 2016 and 2021, 21,800 new dwellings were consented as a direct result of upzoning in the Unitary Plan. Right now, beneath our city streets, the largest transport infrastructure project New Zealand has ever built is taking shape. By 2035 the City Rail Link will move 54,000 people around the city every hour at peak times. We have weathered storms, literally, and the impacts of a global pandemic on our communities and on our own balance sheet. Recovery from the 2023 severe weather events threw up a challenge that would be insurmountable for other parts of the country but that, together with central Government, we have navigated our way through. As a result, more than $2b (and growing) is going into property buyouts and a blue-green network of stormwater and infrastructure resilience projects. Last year, when the Mayor and councillors tackled our funding challenges head on, we had a conversation with our community about trade-offs. That too is a sign of maturity: that we can go to our communities and ask them what matters most, and that they respond. What do the next 15 years look like? Good question. We are focused on strategic transport, water, built and natural environment goals that are underpinned by a commitment to our communities, working with central Government and being a well-run council that delivers value for ratepayers and residents.
Newsroom
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsroom
Auckland's rural-urban boundary in Govt sights
Housing Minister Chris Bishop says the Government remains committed to abolishing Auckland's rural-urban boundary, amid delays in advancing wider housing reforms and debate over whether the move will meaningfully reduce house prices. The rural-urban boundary, part of Auckland Council's Unitary Plan, sets some constraints on where housing development can take place in the supercity, and has been targeted by successive governments.
