It showed the lack of democracy in the Unitary Plan process that put forward a proposed plan for feedback and residents were so removed from the final version, she said. Residents in the wealthy suburbs along Tamaki Drive are gobsmacked at plans to rezone their traditional single-house properties for more intensive housing. The hearings panel making final recommendations on the Unitary Plan has recommended a 22 per cent reduction in the single-house zone and a 42.6 per cent cut in the central isthmus, including the Orakei ward. The latest maps for the new city rulebook show big zoning changes in suburbs such as Orakei and Glendowie, less than six months after a similar proposal was dumped by councillors following a public uproar. "The wholesale removal of the single-house zone from our ward, especially for the likes of Glendowie where residents never had a chance to have a say, feels very undemocratic," said Simpson.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 28, 2016 16:52 UTC