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Statistics New Zealand announced last month that new building consent figures in 2019 were the highest in 45 years, though Rodney’s figures remain largely unchanged.
The number of new homes consented in a year in New Zealand reached 37,000 for the first time since the mid-1970s.
This month, Auckland Council released a statement to media noting that 15,154 of these were in the Supercity.
Mayor Phil Goff said it was the first year since records began in which every month saw at least 1000 dwellings consented in Auckland.
“Last year’s figures represent a 48 per cent rise in dwellings consented annually since the Unitary Plan was implemented, showing the positive effect it is having to enable housing supply in Auckland,” Mr Goff says.
However, figures from Stats NZ archives for the Rodney district show consent numbers have been stagnant.
There were 834 building consents issued in 2019 – only slightly above the 15-year average of 805.
Planner Shane Hartley, of Terra Nova in Orewa, says a number of factors could contribute to flat consent figures.
“The most critical is the difficulty in getting consents for subdivisions – it’s a tough and costly process that can take years,” he says.
“Mid-size developers, looking at building 10 to 20 houses and who have been in the industry for decades, may not be able to foot that bill.”
He says adding to the challenge is the fact that future residential zoned areas in Warkworth are located in the northwest and the south, whereas demand could be in the northeast, closer to beaches.
“With completion of the motorway next year, there will be a huge increase in demand, and it is difficult to say that zoning infrastructure is ready for that pressure.”
Shane suspects population growth in the area in recent years has so far been absorbed by previously unoccupied baches being filled by permanent residents.
