I have no idea how this thing works – perhaps you do? If you have any idea what is going on in the new draft District Plan, please reply in the comments below. On p32 of the new DP (Design Guide Centres & Mixed Use – DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION), it says:

City Outcomes Contribution

G.107. The scale of larger commercial, residential, or mixed-use developments has a direct bearing on the quality and level of amenity offered by the city’s public environment, and the public’s enjoyment of it. To address this, five factors, collectively referred to as City Outcomes Contribution, will be considered in assessing the quality of larger scale development – provision of public space, sustainability, accessibility, affordability and urban design quality. The aim of this assessment is to incentivise “density done well” by giving density-related development concessions in return for publicly beneficial outcomes. The following tables set out the development types that trigger consideration of City Outcomes Contribution, including associated numeric thresholds to be satisfied and the outcomes sought.

The thresholds defined in the below tables reflect the extent of the impact certain forms of large-scale development can have on the city. For example, the higher or larger the development, the greater its potential impact on public amenity and urban living in the city. Consequently, it is anticipated that larger developments will positively contribute to addressing future challenges confronting the city in terms of access to public and green space, sustainability and climate change, accessibility, and affordability.

Table 1: City Centre Zone – Thresholds for any under or over height development comprising 50 or more units or any comprehensive development:

None of that in the tables above makes any sense to me – but then again I have not read nearly enough of the over 1100 pages of gumpf for it to make any sense. But can anyone tell me what the “points required” means? Do you need to get more “points” to get your building passed through Council? (That sounds incredibly dodgy to me). Or is that points working against you? In Table 1 above, “any development that exceeds the maximum height limit by 10% – 24%” will require 20 points. But any development that “exceeds the maximum height limit by 50% or more” will require 40 points. So what is the plan? I’m so confused….