The country's biggest planning hearing begins today to consider the Auckland Council's thirty-year development blueprint, the Unitary Plan.
Hearings costing $12 million will run for 20 months to finalise the decision on how Auckland will grow - both out and up.
The Unitary Plan fuelled debate across Auckland with its aim of curbing sprawl, and up to 70 percent of growth staying within urban areas.
Judge David Kirkpatrick chairs the Independent Hearings Panel for the Auckland Council's Unitary Plan. Photo: RNZ
Supporters praised the idea of a more compact city with better transport, while critics opposed higher rise living in suburbs and town centres.
New legislation means the consideration of 9500 submissions is before an independent panel where as past local body plan hearings were before councillors.
The chair of the eight-member Auckland Unitary Plan Independent hearings Panel is Judge David Kirkpatrick. He said while many submissions were detailed, they had to keep an eye on the big picture.
"We have to have a clear high-level regard for the sustainable management of the whole of the Auckland region. If you adopt a technical approach you would miss the wood for the trees," he said.
The first month or so is on procedural matters, including how many differences can be put before a less formal pre-hearing process.
"We hope lots can be resolved, including mediation among parties and the council itself, and where expert witnesses are involved, through conferencing," said Judge Kirkpatrick.
"A great deal can be achieved through those, and we've taken on 15 very experienced hearings commissioners as mediators and facilitators, and we hope it will produce a large number of agreements."
The hearings will continue through to early 2016, and the council itself will parallel meetings considering its view on submissions and how it might respond to them.