Big changes in Auckland's housing plan! Following these eight principles, which areas will cease intensive development?

New Zealand Chinese Herald website comprehensive report on home security Auckland Council is looking at how to lower the city’s housing capacity target from 2 million to 1.6 million homes. During this adjustment process, high-density development in the outer areas of the city will shrink, while more development will be concentrated closer to the city center.

This line of thinking is one of eight principles that city councilors will discuss. The council has until March 17 to submit a response to Housing Minister Chris Bishop outlining which areas may be affected under the new housing capacity target.

According to one of the principles, the city council plans to gradually reduce the housing capacity starting from more than 10 kilometers from the city center. This means there is likely to be less infill development in areas further from the city centre, while the city center and its surrounding areas will take on more housing development. At the same time, the plan also proposes increasing development density within City Rail Link (CRL) stations, major public transport corridors, metropolitan centers and within walking distance of these areas.

This idea of reducing dense development from the outskirts of the city has caused dissatisfaction among some property owners. Trustees of a Parnell property hired law firm The Environmental Lawyers and wrote to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Chris Bishop and a number of MPs to express their objections.

The letter, submitted by trustees Lawrence Mayne, Stephanie Mayne and Melissa Clark, said the principle was neither consistent with the government’s policy intentions nor inconsistent with views previously expressed by Luxon. Luxon has said adjusting housing capacity to 1.6 million homes means infill development further afield “should disappear”.

“We’ve done our part, taking on the capacity adjustment work and taking the pressure off the council. Now it’s the council’s turn to make this policy work and put development in the right places,” Luxon said.

The letter points out that both Luxon and Bishop have publicly stated that urban growth should be concentrated around the CBD, CRL stations, rapid public transport stations and metropolitan centres. As a result, there will be less need for full or even any form of infill development in other areas. The letter also says the trustees want to ensure that not only Parnell, but Auckland as a whole, remains liveable, high quality and productive for generations to come.

Bishop responded that he had not yet seen the letter and said Auckland Council was moving forward with the process of implementing cabinet’s recent decision and he would not comment in advance.

Councilors will discuss the following eight principles at the Policy, Planning and Development Committee meeting:

Preserve declared downgraded zoning for natural hazards such as floods and landslides.
Retain mandatory infill development within walkable areas and around five CRL stations.
Preserve crypto developments that maximize CRL investments.
Reduce housing capacity starting from more than 10 kilometers from the city center.
Reduce housing capacity along transit corridors, starting with lower-grade transit corridors.
Keep restricted items, such as special feature areas.
A buffer above the 1.6 million-unit target would give the independent hearing panel some flexibility when making recommendations to the city council.
Study further down-zoning for natural hazard areas.

Meanwhile, the council’s senior planners have also proposed a series of adjustments to increase and reduce development capacity in different areas to ultimately achieve the 1.6 million homes target. This target is still 400,000 units more than the 1.2 million units allowed under the current Unitary Plan.

Measures to increase housing capacity include infill development in more town and community centers; increasing building heights from five to six stories in non-walkable areas; replacing single-family zoning with higher density zoning near public transit and schools; and adjusting some residential zoning rules.

Options for reducing capacity include downzoning more properties at greatest risk from natural disasters and adjusting rules to improve the overall quality of buildings and neighborhoods.

This planning idea also attracted the attention of senior Auckland architect Andrew Patterson. He believes that the city council should make more use of the professional experience of architects and urban designers. These professionals understand both the economics of development and the actual conditions of the land, and can help the city achieve better planning with less controversy.

Patterson points out that if development capacity is spread across thousands of sites, the market will tend to prioritize projects that are easiest to implement, such as building townhouses on residential sites in certain areas.

He believes that through more sophisticated planning methods to clarify which areas are truly suitable for medium-density housing and which areas are not, we can achieve the same housing goals while creating a more coordinated and livable city.

According to the timetable, Auckland Council will draw up new draft planning maps once the relevant legislation for the 1.6 million housing capacity is passed by the government (expected later this month or next month).

Auckland residents will then have another chance to submit their views on Plan Change 120 (PC120). The plans are the council’s response to the government’s directive to plan for two million housing capacity, after more than 10,500 submissions were received.

Ultimately, an independent hearing panel will review all submissions and make recommendations to the City Council. Chris Bishop has made it clear that he wants the revised PC120 to be ready by May 2027.

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