Presentations
Bayleys @ 5 Orewa - NPS - HPL (29 Nov 2022)
The National Policy Statement - Highly Productive Land came into legal effect on 17 October 2022. Burnette presented at the Orewa Bayleys @ 5 event about the issues around classification and implementation.
See the full presentation here
Bayleys @ 5 Warkworth - MDRS (15 Sep 2022)
The National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) was introduced in 2020. In 2021, Central Government determined further action was required to achieve the objectives on the NPS-UD with respect to improving the housing supply in NZ’s five largest cities. Each Tier 1 local authority was required to notify their Intensification Planning Instruments. Burnette addresses Auckland Council’s intensification plan changes and their implications for Warkworth.
See the full presentation here
In the media
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Distinguished Service Award for Burnette O'Connor
NZPI DSA Awards - November 2022
Burnette O’Connor (Director of The Planning Collective) was recently recognised by the New Zealand Planning Institute/Te Kōkiringa Taumata with a Distinguished Service Award. These awards acknowledge planners who are making a significant contribution to our profession and continue to do so year on year.
Read the full article and her citation here
Congratulations Burnette - the award is well-deserved.
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Productive land and the need for urban development
NZ Herald Opinion Piece, August 29 2022
The protection of Highly Productive Land by a National Policy Statement is being considered by the Cabinet Committee and a decision (according to the MfE and MPI websites) is expected on Monday 29th 2022.
Burnette O’Connor provides her professional opinion on the issues involved.
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Major changes to Mangawhai Central - Plan Change 78
Mangawhai Focus, March 28, 2022
Burnette O'Connor stated that the outcomes were significant for the community by providing a clear and robust framework for assessing future resource consent applications.
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Single house could be replaced by 50 on riverfront block
Local Matters, March 08, 2022
Auckland Council says planning staff are currently assessing the request to change the zoning at 36 Sandspit Road, which is currently zoned Future Urban and has one house on the 2.8 hectare block. The proposed new zoning is Residential – Mixed Housing Urban.
“A private plan change at this location was lodged last year and council planning staff are reviewing the request to assess whether further information is required to progress it under the Resource Management Act,” a spokesperson said.
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Warning bell sounded over higher density housing
Mahurangi Matters, November 08, 2021
Last month, the Government, with bi-partisan support, introduced draft legislation into Parliament that will introduce new “medium density standards”. These standards will allow up to three houses, of up to three storeys, to be built on a site without the need for resource consent.
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Introducing: The Planning Collective 2021
Local Matters, July 19, 2021
Navigating the complexities of the Resource Management Act just got a lot easier for residents on the Hibiscus Coast who might be planning to build a house, set-up a home office or subdivide.
Planning consultants, The Planning Collective, has opened an office at 3 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Silverdale, complementing its northern base in Warkworth.
Directors Burnette O’Connor, Gemma-Rose Brooke and Paul Rodgers head a team of eight, with experience across all aspects of resource management issues.
Paul says if he had one piece of advice for someone thinking of building, buying or selling land, it would be, “speak to a planner first”.
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The Planning Collective
Mahurangi Matters, July 14, 2021 - Issue 411
“If you just charge ahead without knowing all the ins and outs of what can and can’t be done on your land, you can find yourself having to file multiple resource consents, which could have been avoided with a robust planning strategy.”
All three directors have undertaken projects of their own in Auckland so have first-hand experience of some of the frustrations that often go hand-in-hand with development.
“Clear advice, realistic timeframes and creative solutions can make all the difference.”
Collectively, the team has expertise across the gamut of development and building issues from plan changes, structure plans and policy advice to resource consents, conflict resolution and scoping reports including development potential reporting and analysis.
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Auckland’s resource consent process in crisis – planner
Local Matters, July 6, 2021
Warkworth consultant planner Burnette O’Connor, who is handling the application on behalf of Goatley, says she is facing the same difficulty with other large-scale developments, and even smaller ones such as one for a double garage.
Ms O’Connor says in her view, Auckland Council’s planning functions – particularly its resource consenting – are in crisis.
“Staff are stressed and clearly overwhelmed. This is resulting in lack of clear, consistent decision-making, which is then adding significantly to costs and causing significant delays,” she says.
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Mark Francis after $37m sale: Buying Warkworth bare land, rezoning 'speculative'
NZ Herald, September 9, 2020
Auckland property developer and investor Mark Francis admits he took a big personal financial risk buying a substantial block of Warkworth land revealed yesterday to have been sold for $37 million.
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Goatley Holdings presses ahead for industrial consent
Local Matters, June 29, 2020
A consent to develop 65ha of light industrial land just north of Warkworth is still in the hands of Auckland Council.
If granted, its anticipated the development will become Warkworth’s largest commercial zone and biggest employer.
The bulk of the land is owned by Goatley Holdings, but also includes land owned by Stellan Trust. The owners hope to subdivide the land into 90 commercial and industrial sites.
Goatley partner Miriam Stevenson says they expect the development will attract a wide range of businesses, which could include car yards, landscaping suppliers, building suppliers, major hardware stores, manufacturers, warehouses and vehicle cleaning stations.
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Planning Our Future
Junction Magazine, February 9, 2021
COVID has had little effect on the business; Burnette worked every day of lockdown. In fact, it streamlined the way she and her team works. “I’ve utilised digital options for a while, but now everyone has this capability. It’s been great not driving to Auckland for short meetings.”
The Planning Collective provides all aspects of resource management and planning work including consenting strategy, consultation/ mediation, expert evidence for hearings and of course, resource consents and plan changes. Burnette also works as an independent commissioner, able to hear and determine resource consent hearings, mostly in Kaipara and Whangarei.
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Introducing - The Planning Collective
Local Matters, October 1, 2019 12:39pm
A passion for planning combined with the pace of local development has led to Warkworth-based planner Burnette O’Connor establishing her own planning practice once again, with the launch of The Planning Collective.
Burnette ran O’Connor Planning Consultancy (OPC Limited) for 17 years, until she sold it to national consultancy Barker & Associates in 2017. Now, after two years on their management team, she’s keen to get back to the nuts and bolts of hands-on local planning issues.
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Warkworth photos capture public’s imagination
Local Matters, November 4, 2019
A photographic time capsule of Warkworth was organised by Burnette O’Connor, Rachel Callender, Claire-Marie Blair and Jannette Thompson.
It takes a long-term view of recording the district’s growth through the lens of a camera.
The organisers say the two-day exhibition in the old Masonic Hall was well-attended and the photos were conversation starters.
“The idea is to build a library of images over time, which will be a valuable resource for years to come,” they say.
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Stubbs farm promises fantasy playground and more
Local Matters, July 15, 2019
Planning consultant Burnette O’Connor called on the public to submit to the Council in favour of this suggestion and facilitators were at the meeting with template submissions to facilitate this.
“Cycleways and paths along the river won’t be achieved if we have light industrial zones on both sides of the river,” she said.
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Council fast-tracks Warkworth’s growth
Local Matters, July 2, 2017
Substantial parcels of land identified for future urban growth in Warkworth have become development ready earlier than expected.
This follows Auckland Council’s Planning Committee decision to adopt a refreshed version of the Future Urban Land Strategy.
When the strategy was first released in November 2015, it envisaged land in Warkworth’s North and North East being development-ready between 2022 and 2026, based mainly on the constraints of water and wastewater infrastructure. Warkworth south would follow around 2027-2031, after Warkworth North and when key transport links were in place.
However, Stubbs Farm developer Jamie Peters says some of the impediments to bringing Warkworth forward have been removed.