Bunnings Application hearing From the Media Bench Day 1 Who would be a commissioner?

? Hours and hours of minutiae, elevations, water flow rates, traffic volumes now vs. then, burping instead of beeping fork lifts - more than enough to make your brain hurt. Application hearing Chair Mr. Greg Hill set the scene with aplomb and a small measure of humour to calm the earlier slightly edgy meeting of opposing minds in the lift to level 15 of the Civic buildings in Greys Ave. Counsel for Bunnings, Mr. Kirkpatrick led off with a stern yet sterling summary of their application, focusing on how the proposed activity really did fit quite neatly into the tenor of a Mixed Use zone, more neatly it seems, than the unitary plan prescribes for residential and small business intensification, all as part of Lens vision for Auckland as the worlds most livable city. Arch enemy Mr. David smirker Boerson, Kingslander and Bunnings Property Development Manager, looked uncomfortable in a pinstripe, less so speaking on the hoof, compared to his apparent selfflagellation on discovering his own typos and unintended hard returns while attempting to read his submission. To an inveterate DIYer, it was fascinating being led through pages and pages of photos of product racking, so much so that if required, I would be sure to find a stainless, nay a galv. coach bolt in my sleep if I were ever again allowed to set foot in a Bunnings store. Bunnings are proudly riding an expansion wave, with an arrogant take no prisoners approach to existing competition and after ferreting out the Great North Road site, are hell bent on fitting a large round peg into a smaller square hole and bugger the consequences. Much was made of mitigating the effects of this development on Dean St, but apparently nowhere else in Arch Hill exists. All noise including the dulcet tones emanating from the in-house Tannoy, light pollution, and other noxious emissions will all be solved by the installation of Roller doors. Up down, up down (officially whoosh whoosh) at least every 15 minutes (and thats not taking into account the courier deliveries which will still necessitate at least a partial lifting of the doors). A shortened lunch break broke the stream of the more mundane. Evidence, read mitigating of effects whether it be ground water, urban design, or the tasteful reduction of Bunnings signage to more naturally tone into the lo-rise surrounding environment. As a consequence of the proposed lack of pedestrians using this development as a destination shop, much of the Great North frontage will be without awning necessitating use of an umbrella during the odd quick wintery dart down to Caf O. This brings us to the biggie - TRAFFIC. Not such a biggie though 2000 cars per weekend day in and out trucks & couriers and staff lets not forget the staff and all those extra jobs created at somewhere near the minimum wage. A shortage of over 200 car parks is a pure technicality in the scheme of things, especially when there is no parking in Arch Hill every week day along Dean, all the way to Kirk St and in between. The proof of course will be when the commissioners realize that the applicants traffic surveys are over 2 years old and ours are so up to date you might think they were only done yesterday. Until tomorrow. Day 2 More mitigating noise and fascination with the roller doors - up or down, all up, mainly down except when they are up. Not once a mention of the noise a large truck would make, attempting a standing start up King St at least 30 times a day! Then there was Mr. Norwood independent specialist planning consultant from Barker & associates, lead planners for Bunnings, McDonalds, Animates etc. and others used to having their own way with things. We will hence forth refer to him as Mr. No. For those of you who attended the farce of a meet the residents meeting way back, he was the one in the grey suit who did a lot of lurking today that wasnt possible as his grey & black patterned socks were quite distracting.

During his summing up, Mr. No eluded to the less than pristine nature of the residential area. Commissioner Hill, who obviously took exception to the slur on our neighborhood, invited him to revise his comments but Nr No declined. Mr. No took a break from mitigating, to describing the more positive aspects such a development would bring including increased employment (neglecting to mention that international evidence suggests for each job created in a bog box development 1.4 jobs were lost to neighboring businesses), that local residents dedicated to a Bunnings fix will have a city store to visit instead of having to travel to industrial environs more typical of Bunnings usual location. Of course there is also the improvement in visual appeal and enhancement of the area that this unique Bunnings store would bring yeah right! Tomorrow is OUR DAY. We need the support of as many of you as can make it the official stuff starts at 9.30am! Day 3 Ex School teachers and hairdressers showed their true colours and knocked together a few placards over the weekend well used outside the Civic building this morning where there was plenty of arm waving to ward off the cold between sage words from Shale Chambers and Mike Lee and the odd heckle when the Council Planners and the Bunnings team scuttled past the assembled 30 odd protesters. Not so odd really cause upstairs on the 15th floor, a coterie of rank (and not so rank) amateurs charmed the socks of the Commissioners with their insightful dissertations and analyses, mixed with heartfelt personal experience. Frantic under table texting to the Bunnings HO to generate a companywide memo and hasty raiding of the samples cupboard for black plastic rubbish bags for some unpaid afterhours cleanup of all branch service ways after graphic pictures were shown of upturned trolleys and vagrant accommodation made out of stacked up Renovator Tool boxes. We couldnt hear any difference in Mr. Lees evidence presented whether as a counselor or not. Shale Chambers elicited a collective stare out the window from the Council planners bench when a difference of opinion with Mr. Mitchie over whether the Waitemata board had been able to submit to the second application or not. Anyway, 1-0 to Shale and the board. This story has yet to run its course and will only be sorted when elastic finally gives way on the butt covering. The kindergarten played the old oh ah what about the children card that worked a treat, and the commissioners are a shoe in for a slap up morning tea with the kids when they do their next site visit. Our big guns Gibb & Putt chewed the stuffing out of any thoughts the applicants might have had in mitigating the effects on our community of a tarted up Green & Cream & Red tin shed or as Mike Lee succinctly described it Lipstick on a Pig. Over and out until tomorrow Day 4 Chair Greg Hill led a posse of Commissioners on a site visit at lunch time but in his own words it was really a way to de stress from what was a fractious morning which did really start quite well,with a quick trip to the dairy and win of sorts on page 13 of the Herald reporting on the previous days protest and cutting quotes from our board and council reps. Kindercare had played it down low until now, but turned up this morning, all guns blazing. Everything said by submitters so far was not only reconfirmed, but Mr. Nigel Williams, traffic counsel regaled us with his ability to control a large truck, the quality of the coffee at various Bunnings sites around the region, purchased we gather by his long-suffering wife while he counted whether employees caught the bus to work, or walked, or whatever. During these submissions, the facial colour of planner Blakey and Bunnings counsel Kirkpatrick attained a rosy hue, a somewhat hunched demeanor, morphing into a crouch when the very smart and obviously comparatively mentally agile urban planner, Gerald Blunt, having spent considerable time at the hearing

actually listening, chose to modify his professional opinion and submit that amenity value of the to the community of the proposal was far more diminished than previously thought. This contrasted with the evidence of Karl Hancock, council traffic engineer who steadfastly maintained his woefully un-researched stance. He proceeded to lose his cool, rocking back & forth like a child overdue for a wee - commenting to the by now hooting gallery, that maybe his vocation was more suited to that of a stand-up comic. Thank god he changed his suit from the limish green he wore yesterday to something less chunderous. Commissioner Baguley, having partaken of a smaller lunch than usual, due in part to that damned site visit, suddenly became alert and interested when kindred spirit, Bunnings counsel Kirkpatrick attempted to attack sundry submitters and their evidence, while becoming more bellicose by the minute. 10 points to Commissioner Chair Hill for letting him be so, just for fun we thought, as he was more forgiving of the loud snorts and guffaws from the gallery than would normally have been reasonable. Kirkpatrick then attempted to call into question the legitimacy of the traffic information gathered by the community; purely, it seemed on the basis of our lack of collective tertiary qualifications in counting. Well its over and as they say good things some to those that sits and waits. Mitigating, mitigates, to mitigate will be a word or words to abstain from using for a wee while it is a powerful concept to be avoided at all cost with this issue the alternative has to be plain ol NO Day 5 there was no Day 5! Twenty Four hours after the last utterances of wrap-up day, it is maybe now easier to get a more general perspective on the goings on of the last four. The process of a consent application has the feel of a sort of casual court -powdered wigs giving way to balding pates (firmly blokes territory here three to one) generally formal dress although the aforementioned Mr No from the Bunnings team turned up on Submitters Day Wednesday, in an attempt to disarm those less confident among us, sans tie. We of course had him sussed and to his chagrin most in the penny seats failed to even notice. Applicants apply for consent to build a structure and operate a business at a property they submit all their data, reports and opinions on its suitability for purpose - the idea being to get the council planning officers to believe it all and issue an interim recommendation of yes please. They also recommend to the Commissioner Chair whether the application should be Non Partially or Fully Notified. Unfortunately in this case and reflecting the inclination of the planner, the recommendation of Partial Notification was accepted by the CC hence we live with the outcome we have today, which controversially included who of the affected parties read residents, could have their say about the proposal or not!. Of course, this stuff all happens before a hearing. Once convened there were lots of comings & goings during each sitting, an easy familiarity developed, as with any group of individuals stuck together for more than a day or two. It also apparent that this country is but a mere village. A couple of commissioners previously worked with the various counsel applicant counsel and submitter counsel were mentor and protg. In a most telling off- the- cuff slip- of- the- tongue, he of the limish green suit and expertise in traffic flows and motions, council planner Hancock, was heard to utter the word We when optimistically referring to the outcome of the application in the affirmative for Bunnings. It is very easy; when you hang on the every word of those more learned in these matters, to be seduced by ebbs and flows of the progress of your cause- akin a tug of war between right and wrong, but after a while you develop a thicker skin and look to the trends.

We previously observed the positives effect of (our) submitters case on urban planner Blunts view, the demeanour of the Bunnings team and most surprisingly, that of lead planner Blakey who had to admit his previously positive inclination toward approval had now become, in his own words, more equivocal. Almost seeming to get his wind he noted that mitigation of the amenity effects on the community might include reducing the number of trucks to 20 and looking on the internet indicated that other Bunnings stores had much shorter hours certainly not to 9.00pm and for good measure lets reduce the delivery hours. Things were looking up and Blakey was really saying that it was possible that, the more mitigation, the less likely it was that Bunnings could operate a viable business under such onerous terms. All deliciously understated and he went up a cog or two in our estimation. On reflection, the applicant counsel Kirkpatricks final address was typical of someone who from a position of weakness was agile enough on his feet to attack and attack with petty put- downs. Right now, things look good this community stepped up and not only surprised but impressed. Little Richard, Council Democracy Adviser - Hearings, shirt hanging out and barely coping with the relentless waves and waves of extra photocopying commented he had never seen anything like our self-assured performance. Boerson requested permission to photograph our banners and admitted that no-one had ever protested at any of their (many) consent hearings before. The upshot of all of this has been publicity for the cause, not all how we would want. We are allowed to be outraged at the uninformed bollocks in the papers and on the radio but it is possible to conclude that the offerings most objectionable have been from ones who earn a crust talking the piss, this piece of dross could be accused of the same. The rest are not worthy of comment regardless of the issue. We have made the job of the commissioners very difficult. They know their decision will either confirm the relentless growth of a retail juggernaut and dent the fabric of a very visible Arch Hill community and undermine the wider vision for Auckland City or give us the outcome we desire.