Definition of "Medium Density Dwelling" and "High Density Dwelling" for Wellington housing structures as used on population.id website.
Graeme Sawyer made this Official Information request to Wellington City Council
The request was successful.
From: Graeme Sawyer
Dear Wellington City Council,
These questions relate to definitions of the four types of 'Dwelling Structure" (i.e., "Separate House", "Medium Density", "High Density" and "other') displayed on the "Population.ID" website ( http://profile.idnz.co.nz/wellington/dwe... ).
Population.ID is commissioned by Wellington City Council to develop and publish this information ( Population.ID use Census data, plus other data and criteria supplied by WCC and other sources, to generate reports on the current state and future prospects for Wellington City's human population and housing stock).
1/ Please provide details of any and all instructions or directions given to Population.id, or agreement made with Population.id, pertaining to the calculations and definitions used to categorise Wellington dwellings into one of these four categories - namely "Separate House", "Medium Density", "High Density" and "other".
2/ Please advise what other departments, agencies or international bodies' definitions for the terms "medium density dwelling" and "High Density Dwelling" have been adopted, copied, borrowed, modified or otherwise used to arrive at the definitions for the terms "Medium Density", "High Density" as used by population.id to categorise Wellington City dwellings.
Both these questions should be interpreted as requesting copies of any and all relevant communications (letters, emails, etc etc) and meeting notes relevant to providing a full and comprehensive answer to these two numbered questions.
Should you require any further clarification of this request, please email me.
Yours faithfully,
Graeme Sawyer
From: BUS: IRO
Wellington City Council
Thank you for your email, sent to the Issues Resolution Office at Wellington City Council.
This email address is monitored daily. Your email will be assessed and actioned in due course.
We appreciate your patience.
Wellington City Council Issues Resolution Office.
From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council
Hello Mr Sawyer,
Thank you for your information request, received via the FYI.org.nz
website on 1 December 2015, in which you ask for information relating to
the definitions for housing density used by the Population.ID website.
I have spoken with the relevant persons within the Council with regard to
your request and am able to answer your questions as follows:
1/ Please provide details of any and all instructions or directions
given to Population.id, or agreement made with Population.id, pertaining
to the calculations and definitions used to categorise Wellington
dwellings into one of these four categories - namely "Separate House",
"Medium Density", "High Density" and "other".
Wellington City Council does not provide specific direction to Informed
Decisions with regarding to how they present information on the profile.id
page. This page is a presentation of the most current census information.
As the website notes, the categories are derived from two Census
questions:
Mark the space that best describes this dwelling:
• House or townhouse (NOT joined to any other)
• House, townhouse, unit or apartment joined to one or more
other houses, townhouses, units or apartments
• Moveable dwelling, for example, caravan, boat, tent etc
• Other'
And: Is this building as a whole one storey, two or three storeys, four or
more storeys, or none of these?”
This information is then translated into current (to the latest census
date) density levels relating to each suburb in the city.
2/ Please advise what other departments, agencies or international
bodies' definitions for the terms "medium density dwelling" and "High
Density Dwelling" have been adopted, copied, borrowed, modified or
otherwise used to arrive at the definitions for the terms "Medium
Density", "High Density" as used by population.id to categorise Wellington
City dwellings.
Wellington City Council does not determine these categories and has
therefore not consulted other bodies with respect to adopting, copying,
borrowing, modifying or otherwise using other definitions for the terms
"Medium Density", "High Density".
I hope this answers your questions. If not, please contact me directly.
Kind regards
Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Legal and Risk | Wellington City
Council
P 04 801 3479
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or
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named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended
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any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error,
please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and
any attachments.
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From: Graeme Sawyer
Dear Chris Brown at Wellington City Council,
Your reply (dated December 9, 2015) to my query on definitions of "Medium density Housing" was unsatisfactory, in that it failed to answer the core element of questions I put to you. Please allow me to re-phrase the question in simplistic terms.
It is a fact that population ID report - on behalf of WCC - the numbers of medium density and high density dwellings in each Wellington Suburb - for example, Johnsonville - based on census data. It is clear that Population ID make these calculations, because Dept of statistics do not gather, calculate or make available reports on the numbers of medium density or High density dwellings - they merely provide the statistical data upon which Population ID calculate those numbers of Medum density and high density dwellings for their client (Wellington City Council).
So, to clarify, what I seek from WCC is the specific criteria that are used to define each of these two terms - i.e, what makes a dwelling "Medium Density" or "High density" for the purposes of the population ID report?
Clearly there must be such criteria, or the reports would be an utter nonsense.
I hope that this is a simple question, but if you have difficulty understanding it I welcome your direct contact for clarification - you can phone me on 04 938 7007.
I look forward to your straightforward reply, at your earliest convenience..
Yours Sincerely,
Graeme Sawyer
Johnsonville Community Association Inc.
From: Graeme Sawyer
Dear Chris Brown at Wellington City Council,
Your reply (dated December 9, 2015) to my query on definitions of "Medium density Housing" was unsatisfactory, in that it failed to answer the core element of questions I put to you. Please allow me to re-phrase the question in simplistic terms.
It is a fact that population ID report - on behalf of WCC - the numbers of medium density and high density dwellings in each Wellington Suburb - for example, Johnsonville - based on census data. It is clear that Population ID make these calculations, because Dept of statistics do not gather, calculate or make available reports on the numbers of medium density or High density dwellings - they merely provide the statistical data upon which Population ID calculate those numbers of Medum density and high density dwellings for their client (Wellington City Council).
So, to clarify, what I seek from WCC is the specific criteria that are used to define each of these two terms - i.e, what makes a dwelling "Medium Density" or "High density" for the purposes of the population ID report?
Clearly there must be such criteria, or the reports would be an utter nonsense.
I hope that this is a simple question, but if you have difficulty understanding it I welcome your direct contact for clarification - you can phone me on 04 938 7007.
I look forward to your straightforward reply, at your earliest convenience..
Yours Sincerely,
Graeme Sawyer
Johnsonville Community Association Inc.
From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council
Hello Graeme,
Thank you for your further email.
I have again spoken with the relevant persons, who have provided the following -
The specific definitions and methodology that .ID use is on their website.
It is copied below, but it’s found at http://profile.idnz.co.nz/wellington/top....
Dwelling structure
Derived from two Census questions:
'Mark the space that best describes this dwelling:
• House or townhouse (NOT joined to any other)
• House, townhouse, unit or apartment joined to one or more other houses, townhouses, units or apartments
• Moveable dwelling, for example, caravan, boat, tent etc
• Other'
And 'Is this building as a whole one storey, two or three storeys, four or more storeys, or none of these?'
Dwelling structure looks at the type of dwelling for all occupied private dwellings. The categories are broadly based on the density and height of the housing types.
'Separate house' includes all free-standing dwellings not physically joined to any other.
'Medium Density' includes 'Two or More Flats/Units/Townhouses/Apartments/Houses joined together in a one storey, two or three storey building', as well as the same category with no storey information. These categories include all dwellings joined to at least one other.
'High density' includes all dwellings joined together in a four or more storey block.
Furthermore, Council officers are available to discuss if you would prefer.
If so, please contact Nathan Stocker, Senior Advisor City Planning on [email address]
Kind regards
Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Governance and Assurance | Wellington City Council
P 04 801 3479
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |
IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the recipient or recipients named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended recipient you are not authorised to use, copy or distribute the email or any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and any attachments.
show quoted sections
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