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The opportunity to have a say on changes to the sequencing of land for development in currently rural areas around the Hibiscus Coast has been extended. Originally due to end on April 18, public engagement on the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy Refresh has been extended to April 24.
Cr John Watson says the changes come at a time when public concern continues to grow over the lack of adequate infrastructure to cope with unprecedented levels of growth across Auckland.
“People are questioning whether this level of housing development can proceed without additional investment in roading and wastewater,” Cr Watson says. “There are an additional 40,000 people arriving in Auckland each year.
The price residents are paying are increasing levels of congestion, burgeoning debt and stretched services across Auckland.”
On the Hibiscus Coast there are already a number of consented developments in Orewa, Whangaparaoa and Millwater. The refreshed version of the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy includes ‘development ready’ land in Wainui East (4500 dwellings), business land in Silverdale and Dairy Flat, scheduled for development 2018-22 (estimated to provide 29,000 jobs) and, from 2033-2037, the remainder of Wainui East (7400 dwellings) and the remainder of Silverdale/Dairy Flat (20,400 dwellings).
“All this will require massive investment in arterial roads, wastewater and stormwater. The council doesn’t have the money to do this – its debt to revenue ratio is at its maximum. It can’t borrow any more.”
Just this month Auckland Council submitted an application for a share of the government’s bulk infrastructure fund.If successful, this would help with some areas across the region, including the north, but in reality this de facto ‘loan facility’ is a drop in the ocean. It has been estimated that Auckland currently has an infrastructure deficit of $20 billion.
Cr Watson says he’ll also be hoping that that Government makes a commitment to accelerate the construction of Penlink as a road of national significance. “If not, the Northern Motorway will simply grind to a halt throwing any future development into question. “The message needs to be clear – no large scale housing without the requisite infrastructure – for us that means both Penlink and public transport improvements.”
The existing strategy was adopted in 2015 and covered future development potential for 11,000 hectares of greenfield land in north, north-west and south Auckland. The Auckland Unitary Plan now includes approximately 15,000 hectares of future urban land, which will enable around 136,000 new houses.
Public feedback on the refresh of the strategy is open until 4pm on April 24. More information and feedback forms can be found at the libraries, or online at shapeauckland.co.nz.
