spinofflive
hulse_and_dudes_001

AucklandAugust 16, 2016

Warcast #3: Unitary Plan hero Penny Hulse reveals all about urban density, shock rift with Len

A bunch of people
hulse_and_dudes_001

In the third Earth-shattering installment of The Spinoff’s recently renamed Warcast, we talk to Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse about the Unitary Plan, the disappointing Auckland mayoral candidates, and why she got upset with Mayor Len Brown.

She should have been sleeping off a hangover after finally, incredibly, passing the Unitary Plan. Instead, newly minted teetotaller Penny Hulse got up bright and early to bike into Spinoff HQ and record a War for Auckland Warcast with politics editor Toby Manhire and sad ageist Hayden Donnell. They talked about the best and worst performing councillors at the Unitary Plan hearings, with Deputy Mayor Hulse springing to the defence of absent councillor Alf Filipaina. Hulse also told the story behind the most human moment of the hearings – when she held back tears as she explained why she was voting against proposed affordable housing provisions – and delivered a withering verdict on Auckland’s dispiriting mayoral candidates.

Download the podcast below or feel free to subscribe via iTunes or your favourite podcast client

hulse_and_dudes_001

The War for Auckland is a Spinoff pop-up section devoted to the 2016 Unitary Plan and local elections. To support our journalism, click here.
More Reading
Keep going!
shamugoodshit8602

AucklandAugust 15, 2016

Shamubeel Calls Good Shit #1: Whoa, the Unitary Plan got passed

Guest writer
shamugoodshit8602

In a shocking twist, mild-mannered economist Shamubeel Eaqub has taken a break from calling bullshit to call “good shit” on Auckland Council for passing the Unitary Plan.

We thought it would be so hard. Just a few months ago, dozens of people trundled into Auckland Town Hall to yell insults at anyone who’d ever had a positive thought about housing density. The crowd were angry about a new version of the Unitary Plan allowing roughly 300,000 extra dwellings in Auckland, and they had the support of a majority of councillors. Today those same councillors signed off a version of the plan that allowed 422,000 more houses.

In his inaugural and probably only episode of “Shamubeel Calls Good Shit”, resident Spinoff economist and housing oracle Shamubeel Eaqub applauds our elected representatives’ remarkable turnaround. This plan enables enough development to deal with Auckland’s projected growth, allows increased housing choices, paves the way for better public transport and makes the city more compact. Our councillors did the right thing passing it. Good shit guys!