Environmental and Urban Planning
Environmental and Urban Planning
We advise on the district, regional and unitary planning and statutory requirements, and the development potential of projects. We prepare and process resource consent applications and provide the environmental expertise necessary for AEEs involving infrastructure, multi-lot subdivisions, network utilities and commercial/ residential ventures.
We have significant experience with notices of requirement, outline plans of works, designation alterations and requiring authority applications, and have prepared several local and national policy documents and submissions.
Contact the Landscape Expert
Jo Michalakis
Group Manager - Planning/ Acting Group Manager Landscape Architecture
Case Studies
Bernie Warmington
Wellington Manager - Planning
Maylene Barrett
Auckland Manager - Planning
Petone and Point Howard Wharf Planning Services
Align is providing the Hutt City Council with planning advice and resource consenting services in relation to the Petone and Point Howard Wharf projects.
The Petone Wharf has been an iconic feature of the foreshore since its completion in 1909 and has been well-loved by recreational users and beach goers long after its use for commercial shipping activities ceased. The Wharf was closed to the public after the suffering earthquake damage in January 2021.
Totara Valley Road Upgrade - Landscape Assessment
This project involved Thames Coromandel District Council upgrading the road service network to cater for future growth. The Totara Valley Road area was identified as suitable for residential growth but much of the road did not accommodate water, waste water and stormwater utilities.
Align was engaged to negotiate the acquisition of partial property requirements to enable a widening of the road corridor to accommodate additional infrastructure and traffic, and to prepare the notice of requirement to designate and authorise the required works, including a landscape and visual assessment and photomontages.
Waingawa River Crossing Consenting
Align was engaged by PowerCo to undertake planning assessments and prepare resource consent applications to replace and relocate the support structures, and associated overhead line for a section of 33 kV power line spanning the Waingawa River in the Wairarapa.
The project involved removing existing structures from the bed of the river, and replacing other structures further away from the active streambed for resilience. With the Waingawa River being the boundary between the Carterton and Masterton District Council’s, the project required engagement and negotiation with both authorities
Premium Team Resource Consent processing
Align provides professional services to Auckland Council to assist with consent processing across the region. We also provide services to the Premium team for complex land development applications. Reviews range from single dwellings through to large scale 100+ new dwellings and new suburbs.
We work with several of the council teams to ensure the efficient processing of consents. At the beginning of larger jobs, we attend pre-application meetings in order to provide consistency to applicants. We take a collaborative approach with applicants and Council specialists to ensure quality outcomes that meet both Council and community expectations, and the applicant’s needs.
A large proportion of the consents handled by Align are processed within the statutory timeframes and budgets. Our collaborative approach provides for good relations. Council achieves its statutory requirements when they do not have sufficient in-house capacity.
Dowse to Petone Interchange Environmental Management
Dowse to Petone provides an expressway section to State Highway 2 in Lower Hutt providing less friction between highway traffic and people travelling. It also provides better access to Percy Scenic Reserve at the base of Dowse Drive, improved access and parking to Petone Station and a parallel service road to the state highway to provide for vehicles access and exiting the Korokoro industrial area.
Align created a compliance and environmental effects register to rationalise the 200-plus conditions placed on the project, and an environmental plan setting out the environmental management system. Nine environmental management plans were produced (dust & air; erosion & sediment control; hazardous substances; heritage and archaeological; Korokoro Stream; noise & vibration; Percy Reserve management; vegetation clearance and landscape mitigation; and waste, road debris, and material loss). These plans included summary environmental management drawings (locations of the worksites, the site-specific environmental effects and receiving environments) and environmental management schedules (actions and timesframes for controls, maintenance, construction, inspections, contingencies, inspections and monitoring). Align audited the project every week for two plus years.
The project fully complied with the requirements of the Resource Management Act (1991) and solid relationships were built with the local community, councils and other network utilities. The project was the first in the country to be awarded three consecutive A Grade results by an independent auditing team from Fletchers.
Tawa Link Upgrade Project
Wellington Electricity required upgrades and new sections of overhead and underground 33 kV line to provide greater resilience to the growing Tawa area of Wellington. Align provided strategic planning and property advice, landowner and stakeholder engagement / negotiation services and prepared resource consent applications to facilitate this critical inner city resilience project..
Auckland Social Housing Development Housing New Zealand
The proposed building at 2 Wilson Road, Glen Eden, involved a six-storey apartment building comprising 39 single-bedroom apartments on a 1318 m² site. It had undergone a number of amendments to ensure an efficient and economic development would be achieved; being close to the town centre and public transport services, along with access to local additional services often needed by communities, such as medical facilities, budgeting facilities and so forth.
Align undertook the planning assessments for a new social housing apartment block, primarily designed for elderly residents. Emphasis was placed on identifying all the key aspects and issues potentially arising from the proposal. Comprehensive pre-application discussions were held with the Auckland Council planners to ensure all aspects and issues were covered before the application was lodged.
We successfully obtained the resource consent needed to construct the six storey apartment in accordance with the Auckland Unitary Plan 2016. The application was processed within the statutory timeframes without further information requests under section 92, which is great achievement in the current regulatory context.
State Highway 58 Safety Improvements Consenting
The NZ Transport Agency is enhancing the safety and journey time reliability on State Highway 58, between State Highway 2 and the Pauatahanui roundabout. To acheive this they are widening the highway and its four bridges, installing wire rope safety barriers, improving the intersections, straightening the curves and lowering speed limits. Align is obtaining all the statutory approvals, including the designation alterations and regional consents.
We are working closely with the designers and engineers to avoid and mitigate potential effects while drafting the Assessment of Environmental Effects to support the alterations and applications. We are working extremely hard to ensure that the integration of the avoidance and mitigation measures into the overall design is seamless.