Panuku chief executive John Dalzell says the shortlisting process is comprehensive. "There's quite a lot of preparatory work for understanding each of the locations -- what work has been done, where the engagement with the community is at, understanding what the community wants, and then looking at how we can get a bit creative with everything.
"One of the things we've really focused on is understanding where the market is at these locations and to what extent there might be some landholdings of a contiguous nature, either held by council or someone else.
"It's when we focus on the 'someone else' that we start to think about the concept of alliances," he says. "We ask: how can we create those partnerships or alliances to actually make sure that we can fully optimise everything that is available to us in selecting those locations."
Panuku was formed early last month through the merger of two council controlled organisations, Waterfront Auckland and Auckland Council Property Limited.
The name Panuku means "move on" or "move forward", which provides a very clear focus for the new organisation. Panuku will work with iwi, central government and both the not-for-profit and the private sectors to leverage council land and give the growing Auckland region some exciting projects.
Dalzell says Panuku has structured its operations into three categories: Support, Unlock and Transform.
"Within these three categories, what we're really looking to do is truly unlock the potential of urban regeneration," he says. "We're taking a very strategic approach in terms of how we build up value out of not only the existing council assets that we've got responsibility for, but using those three different categories to help identify opportunities for development."
The success of the next three to five years will be defined on how effectively -- collectively -- all of us approach these issues, and whether we are prepared to change.
The Support arm involves working with organisations such as local boards to help guide them in achieving the goals set by the 30-year Auckland Plan -- such as urban intensification.
The Unlock arm will help create development opportunities for third parties, as well as for council. Panuku sees its role as a facilitator, using its relationships to help remove obstacles and make things move more smoothly. The development work done in Hobsonville Point is an example of this approach.
The meat of Panuku's efforts is the Transform arm, looking for the next Wynyard Quarter and waterfront projects.
The organisation's Type 1 redevelopment programme focuses on the large-scale, long-term residential and commercial developments that deliver one specific goal in the Auckland Plan: the radical improvement of urban living quality.
Panuku is all about moving forward. But reflecting on the first five years of the Super City, Dalzell says: "I think I'd characterise the last five years as being pleasantly surprised. It's definitely a much better operating environment than what existed in the past -- one of the most defining things is the way the chief executives now work together.
"There still may be little things we can do to improve the operating environment, but we should pause for a little bit just to think about us having come a long way," he says.
As for the future, Dalzell has some stern words for Auckland city.
"We shouldn't be afraid to actually tackle head on some of the big issues," he says.
"The success of the next three to five years will be defined on how effectively -- collectively -- all of us approach these issues, and whether we are prepared to change. To change people we are going to have to find a common ground."
Panuku rates highly on sustainability
Panuku Development Auckland is getting high praise for its approach to sustainable infrastructure development.
Panuku's work on Wynyard Quarter's Madden and Pakenham West Rd upgrade earned an "Excellent" rating under the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia's rating scheme, including a perfect score in the Urban and Landscape Design theme.
The development team's focus on connecting continuous and active waterfront precincts, establishing diverse public spaces, creating an appropriate building height, scale and form, and promoting sustainable transport and urbanism all contributed to the top marks.
On top of that, the project managed to reduce their construction carbon emissions by 27 per cent and their materials environmental footprint by 18 per cent.
Panuku's interim chief executive John Dalzell says "the value to the organisation has been in having an independent body scrutinise how Panuku is delivering on its sustainability commitments. We believe we have set the benchmark for other New Zealand organisations to step up to."
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia's rating scheme, launched in 2012, rates the sustainability performance of infrastructure assets across the planning, design, construction and operation phases of development.
