Qualcare hearing - Day 1

A very brief summary of today's hearing:

Bal Matheson (lawyer representing Qualcare) opened Qualcare's evidence with an overview of the proposal, and noted some further proposed amendments, these being*:

a) Blocks 1 and 4A (along the Meadowbank Rd frontage) to be reduced from 3 1/2 storeys to 3 storeys.

b) Blocks 5A and 5B to be reduced by 1/2 storey to the outer edge to address privacy issues, potential dominance and effects on outlook from the Bonnie Brae properties. (The units facing into the centre of the development will be maintained).

c) Blocks 4C to have the two corner units that face MacPherson St removed (again, the internal facing units will be retained).

Evidence was heard from:

Brett Meyer - Development Manager for Retirement Care New Zealand Ltd (in place of Mark Stockton who is on leave)

Anthony Flannery - Managing Director at Chow Hill Architects Ltd

Rob Pryor - Director LA4, Landscape Architects

Rachel de Lambert, landscape architect, Boffa Miskell Ltd

Paul Culley, Senior Engineering Technican, MSC Consulting Group Ltd

Simon Miller, Arboriculturalist, Peers Brown Miller Ltd

Bronwyn Coomer-Smit, Director, Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd (her evidence will continue on Tuesday afternoon)

The evidence presented was basically the same as contained in the various document that we have seen over the last 12 months.

* for the legal people out there, these amendments came with the footnote "These amendments are put forward for consideration at this hearing, however the Applicant is not formally amending its application." I'm not exactly sure what that means!

You may be contacted by Council tomorrow (Tues) morning to see if you can present your evidence sooner, as Qualcare are running ahead of where they thought they would be in terms of presenting their evidence.

I'll attempt to update this website each evening (but don't count on it).

Meetings 19 & 22 June

You are invited to attend one of the following community meetings:
Where: Tahapa Hall, Tahapa Cres., Meadowbank
When: Thursday 19 June 2008 at 7:30pm
Sunday 22 June 2008 at 4:30pm

We will give information about the forthcoming public hearing, provide assistance in preparing your submission for the public hearing, and also discuss the latest changes to the application.

You are welcome to attend even if you didn't make a submission.

Public Hearing commences Monday 30 June

The Public Hearing will be held Monday 30 June to Thursday 3 July 2008.

If you made a submission it is important that you also speak at the hearing - this will add more weight to your submission. Please contact me for further information by emailing me at: actionmeadowbank@slingshot.co.nz .

A further community meeting will be held in the next 10 days - date to be advised shortly.

Possible Hearing date is 30 June 2008

We understand that a Public Hearing for the Qualcare application may be held as early as 30 June 2008. If you made a submission you should have received additional information (via the Council) in the mail today. Qualcare seem to have made very little in the way of changes, so our key concerns still remain.

Watch this space.

Updated info from Qualcare

The following email was received from Qualcare today (9 June 2008)

"As some of you are aware of, Qualcare has been in discussion with its consultants to find ways to try and address some of the concerns raised by Submitters and Council.

To this end, Qualcare has submitted to Council an updated set of information which has clarified certain points of the scheme, amended some of the design and provided more detailed Landscaping information.

The highlights of this package will be posted to all submitters by Auckland City Council; and the full package will be made available on our website, and can be obtained from Council as well.

We anticipate that the posted package will be with you in the next few days with the website updated by the end of today. Please click on the amended plans tab.

As a reminder the website address is http://www.qualcare.co.nz/meadowbank/ "