One Plan

What is One Plan?

One Plan for Auckland (One Plan) will provide a single, strategic framework and plan of action for the Auckland region.  It will provide a detailed infrastructure plan to progress social, economic, environmental and cultural well being, and to strengthen the links between national and regional strategy, planning and action.

The aim of One Plan is to set a clear direction for how the region plans to achieve its aspirations for sustainable development.

In its first iteration, One Plan will be focussed on a few significant actions.  Successive iterations will build on these, and new areas of action, towards the development of one integrated action plan in time.  Over time, the objectives, goals and targets already expressed through a number of strategy documents will be drawn together in One Plan under a series of focussed action plans.

The One Plan approach will better integrate regional planning, investment and action.

Over time, the objectives, goals and targets already expressed through a number of strategy documents will be drawn together in One Plan under a series of focussed action plans.

Scope

Although the outcome of the ultimate One Plan will be the integrated long-term sustainable development of Auckland region, the focus of the first One Plan is on implementation and action. It will be:

• a vision and strategic direction provided by the Auckland Sustainability Framework
• a set of strategic directions currently provided by a series of regional strategies which may in future be integrated into one
• a prioritised set of regionally significant programmes (1-5 years)
• a process for further developing One Plan and a longer term programme of action (i.e. 5-20 years)

The programmes to be included in One Plan will be introduced in a staged approach. As One Plan develops through successive versions, the "actions" component will become more comprehensive.

As the first One Plan will be focussed on a few significant actions, the rationale for prioritising them needs to be powerful and clear. The following filters and assessment tools are being developed to help guide this prioritisation:

• significant contribution to the Auckland Sustainability Framework
• alignment with central government's policies and platforms
• transformative potential for fundamental improvement and change
• regional significance.

Programmes that are successful in meeting these criteria will then be compared and evaluated in terms of their:

• achievability
• timeliness/urgency and
• opportunity.

Why are we doing it?

The One Plan proposal emerged from community pressure to turn the region's strategies into action and to bring an improved regional focus to decision-making. One Plan is intended to pull the policies and action plans of a range of strategies and implementation agencies together to focus on a few regionally important issues.

One Plan for Auckland will add value by:

• increasing the certainty and speed of action
• implementing selected significant projects and programmes
• aligning, integrating and prioritising between strategic decisions
• developing existing central government strategy focussed on Auckland
• instilling a sustainability focus to decision making

While the Royal Commission investigation is an independent process, the benefits gained, and lessons learned in the development of One Plan will provide valuable insights for consideration by the Commission.

As the outcomes of the Royal Commission process are unlikely to be in place before the next local body elections in 2010, One Plan is an opportunity for the region to progress significant actions in the short-term.

How are we doing it?

One Plan is the responsibility of a new collaborative political forum, the Regional Sustainable Development Forum (RSDF). It will develop One Plan and recommend it to the Auckland Regional Council for adoption. The RSDF membership comprises representatives of Auckland Councils, central government, adjacent regional councils and Maori.

The proposed timetable intends a draft One Plan to be confirmed by the RSDF in May 2008 with a final version received by the RSDF for its recommendation to the Auckland Regional Council in September 2008. This timetable is intended to ensure that One Plan can be used in the development of Long Term Council Community Plans and the allocation of budget resources by central government agencies.

Who is involved?

One Plan is being developed by the Regional Sustainable Development Forum.