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JL Evidence WLR-8 OCT-VC BEFORE A BOARD OF INQUIRY MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal UNDER The Resource Management Act 1991 IN THE MATTER of: Notice of requirement for designation and resource consent applications by the NZ Transport Agency for the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal APPLICANT NZ Transport Agency STATEMENT OF EVIDENCE OF JAMES LUNDAY (Urban Planning and Design) for Save Kapiti Dated: 8th October 2012 INTRODUCTION Expert Witness 1. My name is James Lunday. I hold the qualifications of Diploma of Architecture, Bachelor of Arts with First Honours, Bachelor of Planning with First Honours, a Diploma of Urban Design and a Masters of Urban Design (Distinction) both from Oxford Brookes. I have 35 years experience in Architecture, Strategic Planning, Heritage Planning, Urban Regeneration and Urban Design having worked in Government, Academic and Private Sector roles. 2. I have held the positions of Architect for City of Glasgow, Urban Designer/Landscape Planner for the State Government of Victoria, Australia, Director of Urban Regeneration for the Civic Trust, UK, Executive Director of the Auckland Heritage Trust, Senior Lecturer at University of Auckland, and Principal of Common Ground Studio. 3. I have been a practicing Urban Designer since 1982, when I was appointed to the position of Urban Designer and Landscape Planner for the Ministry for Planning and Environment, Victoria, Australia. During this time I was involved in the restructuring of Melbourne with a focus on infrastructure / land-use led economic recovery with aim of creating Melbourne as the most Livable City in Australia. 4. In 1985 I returned to Europe from Australia to take up the position of Project Director of Regeneration for the Civic Trust, London, in charge of Urban Renewal Projects. Whilst in this position the Civic Trust became a founder of the Urban Villages Forum, established to develop new settlements to absorb growth in the United Kingdom. In 1989 I left Europe I was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Auckland Heritage Trust and accepted an Academic position at the University of Auckland. I have an academic and working history of creating masterplans and urban renewal strategies for historic areas and conservation plans for historic buildings. I have had a long involvement and specialisation in waterfront environments, coastal, lake and river. 5. In 1993 I had a short study leave from the University of Auckland to the offices of Andres Duany and Elizabeth Palter-Zyberk who had at the time James Lunday > Evidence > Board of Enquiry. > 8th October 2012 > MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal 1 developed the Traditional Neighbourhood Design theory in the pioneering developments of Seaside, Boca Ratan, Windsor and Kentlands. 6. I was a lecturer at the University of Auckland between 1989-2002, within the School of Architecture, Property and Planning, lecturing in landscape planning, urban design, economic development and heritage planning. I have published extensively in my field, particularly with respect to achieving sustainable urban development. In 2000 I co-authored a book ‘Manual for Sustainable Neighbourhood Development’ (Christina du Plessus, James Lunday and Pierre Swanepoel – Pretoria, ISBN 0-621-29983-9). I have appeared on radio and television as an urban design commentator and recently in a feature documentary about the Christchurch earthquake, When a City Falls. I am the recipient of several National and International awards related to Urban Design and urban regeneration. 7. I am a past member of the Auckland Council, Manukau, and Queenstown Urban Design Panels. 8. I am the principal and founder of Common Ground Urban Design and Architecture Ltd (Common Ground Studio) and manage a multi-disciplinary practice focused on Urban Design and Development. 9. In New Zealand I have completed a number of large-scale strategic planning exercises resulting in Masterplanned or Urban Design led Plan Changes and Variations. These include Pegasus Town, Homestead Bay, Jacks Point, Albany City, Waikanae North, Ngarara Farm and Taupo Eastern Urban Lands, New Lynn TOD, and Tamaki TOD. I am also involved in consulting work in China, Sri Lanka, Australia and Kuwait. Code of Conduct 10. I confirm that I have read the Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses contained in the Environment Court Consolidated Practice Note (2011) and I agree to comply with it as if this Inquiry were before the Environment Court. In that regard I confirm that this evidence is written within my expertise, except where otherwise stated, and that I have not omitted to consider material facts known to me that might alter or detract from the opinions expressed. James Lunday > Evidence > Board of Enquiry. > 8th October 2012 > MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal 2 Direct Relevant Experience 11. During 2008/2009 I was appointed the Project director of the re-design of the Western Link Road (WLR) for Kapiti (McKays Crossing to Peka Peka) from a four lane arterial which was deemed to cause separation issues for the community and destroyed the dune environment to a more sensitively designed local arterial that respected the environment, character of settlements, topography, created permeable local movement network and was also fit for purpose of relieving state Highway from local traffic and in budget . I led a design team composed of Common Ground Studio, Opus International and Kapiti District Council. The Kapiti Coast District Council ( KCDC) and NZTA were the clients for this project. We were successful in achieving our brief. 12. The WLR designation was a legacy of the abandoned Sandhills Highway (now resurrected as the Expressway Proposal) There was a decision made 15 years previously to concentrate on the existing State Highway as the national network and relieve that network from local traffic by completing the local network through the construction of much awaited local arterial and second Waikanae River crossing along the designation. This was a project fully supported by NZTA and KCDC. By 2009 we had a fully designed, and consented local arterial which had approval of KCDC, NZTA officers, local community and Hapu/Iwi and had been supported by Board until the final board meeting. It had a completed and complying SAR and had been peer reviewed successfully. It was within budget and fit for purpose satisfying aims of facilitating a better national network and enhancing the local network (whilst reinforcing the character of coastal settlements, supporting and enhancing land use, expansion of Paraparaumu town centre and stimulating the local and national economy). We also investigated improvements to the State Highway, which involved completing the four laning of Highway, adjoining road closures and grade separating junctions at Paraparaumu and Waikanae. Even without further improvements to State Highway the WLR removed sufficient local traffic from state Highway to ease the flow of freight trucks from wellington North (which in fact mainly move at night when there islittle congestion or conflict with local traffic congestion). 13. In addition I have led two major plan changes in Waikanae. I therefore have a good understanding of the Coast, its community, environment, economy James Lunday > Evidence > Board of Enquiry. > 8th October 2012 > MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal 3 and its land-use/infrastructure issues. I have access to a large amount of detailed work that was produced for the Western Link Road, which I am happy to make available. Background and Position Statement and Summary 14. As I have covered, I am highly conversant with the wider Kapiti Coast environment and context. My company has undertaken a number of projects related to infrastructure and integrated land-use and transport initiatives in the Kapiti Coast for both KCDC and private investors over a number of years. 15. I have extensive understanding and experience of the Western Link Road and Expressway developments and possible configurations, including: • Design Review of Expressway Proposal (KCDC, 2008) • Alternative Scenario Testing (KCDC 2008) • WLR Design and SAR with Opus (KCDC & NZTA, 2008 – 2009) • State Highway Expressway Review (KCDC, 2009) • State Highway Expressway: Impacts and Land-Use Implications (KCDC, 2009) • SH1 Review: Concept Plan and Guidelines post Expressway with Flow Transportation Specialists (KCDC, 2010) 16. I am here to present evidence on behalf of the Save Kapiti, a non-profit community advocacy group who oppose the presented Expressway scheme whilst supporting the need for an integrated movement and land- use outcome for the Coast communities. 17. It is my professional opinion, based on a deep knowledge of the issues, that the option promoted by NZTA consultants is not the best outcome for either the SH 1 network or the local community, and that the core definition of issues and analysis of options has been flawed. In fact the numbers of vehicles along the State Highway are relatively low and congestion is caused by local traffic using State Highway as a local arterial. The creation of a new arterial along the designation solves this issue. This was an Option too easily dismissed in the pursuit of a theoretical National solution. 18. That there were insufficient options investigated by NZTA including the omission of the option of the WLR which eased traffic on the State Highway James Lunday > Evidence > Board of Enquiry. > 8th October 2012 > MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Proposal 4 sufficiently to achieve NZTA traffic improvement targets on National network without further improvements to State Highway. Of course this could be improved further by continuing improvements to existing State Highway and grade separating town centre junctions at Waikanae and Paraparaumu. 19. I consider the work undertaken to justify the expressway is fundamentally flawed, particularly in analysis and therefore choice of alternatives and in some instances bordering on mischievous. The landscape and urban design team I single out as being particularly light in contextual analysis and defining principles to objectively assess options, this leads to perverted outcomes in studies such as the AEE report.
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