Our History
The Character Coalition was formed in 2012 out of a sense of frustration that the community was shut out of the planning processes that determined the shape of the city. There was despair as precious buildings and character areas were destroyed to make way for, often inappropriate, new developments.
A small local group had been involved in a campaign to save three historic Spanish Mission cottages from demolition. Although Save Our St Heliers failed to prevent the destruction of those cottages, the experience led to the realisation that it was the planning rules that had defeated us not the bulldozers.
The decision-making that determined development of local environments seemed designed to disempower ordinary citizens.
We wrote to a wide range of community organisations inviting them to join ‘a character coalition’. We wrote that “A united front lobbying both the Governing Body and the Unitary Plan working group with a single, clear message looks to offer the best chance of success. By the end of August 2012 the coalition had 22 members and were actively involved in the Auckland Council Unitary Plan process. In September we met with the Mayor and asked for regional stakeholder status and a significant, on-going role in the development of the plan.
The Mayor agreed to our request, and as a result the Coalition had continuing and positive involvement in the formation of the Unitary Plan.
The Super City Unitary Plan presented us with a once in a lifetime chance to get the treatment of heritage and character right. The Auckland Plan’s objectives include empowering Aucklanders to have stewardship of heritage, transparent mechanisms around it, and a legacy of heritage to hand on to future generations.
One thing we achieved was the identification of, and continuing protection for, Auckland’s Special Character Areas. However, these are now under serious threat because of the Government’s National Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (NPS-HUD), and Council’s proposal to potentially allow high rise apartment blocks to be scattered throughout them.
But now, only a few years after the Unitary Plan came into effect, the current Government and Council proposals threaten major destruction and loss of our finite heritage and character stock.
