My Account
Auckland Council has approved the proposed change to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s planning rulebook – to meet central government requirements for greater building height and density across the city.
People will be able to make submissions from August 18 to September 29.
The proposed plan change – called the Intensification Planning Instrument – responds to central government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), requiring Council to enable buildings of six storeys or more within walking distance of the city centre, and three storeys without the need for a resource consent in townships such as Warkworth with populations greater than 5000.
It also responds to legislative changes to the Resource Management Act requiring the Council to enable more medium density three storey housing across most of residential Auckland.
Planning Committee chair Cr Chris Darby said the proposed plan change would mean big changes to the rules for how property owners could choose to develop their property, if they wished.
At the Planning Committee on August 4, several last minute qualifying matters were added to the plans.
This included areas where long-term water supply, wastewater and stormwater network constraints existed and needed to be managed.
Additionally, a new Low Density Residential zone was endorsed to provide a lower level of development than the three storeys required by the government. It will be used in areas where some qualifying matters, or exemptions, to limit required building heights apply.
Electricity distribution assets were also approved for further investigation on whether they could be a qualifying matter.
Members of the committee grappled with how to approach the vote. Many abstained as a show of protest, others felt they had their hands tied, and some expressed frustration with the lack of willingness for intensification from other councillors.
Cr Christine Fletcher recalled when the Skytower was built 25 year earlier.
Fletcher said it was called a “monstrosity” but was now looked upon with fondness.
“I don’t think that in 25 years time, we will look back at this with fondness,” Fletcher said. “This will not deal with housing affordability.”
Fletcher said the policies from central government were extreme, hasty and undemocratic.
Cr Shane Henderson said the compact city approach would drastically reduce emissions and Council would be ignoring the climate emergency if it did not support the plan changes.
“We must enable more housing closer to work and study,” Henderson said.
He said that thousands of new homes had been built in Massey despite appalling public transport and there had been no opposition from Council. Expanding ‘special character’ meant that several hundred more families would not be able to put keys into homes, he said.
Cr Greg Sayers said not passing the resolution would send a strong message of protest to central government.
“The strongest protest that this committee can make is to abstain from the vote,” Sayers said. “How will [these changes] make Auckland’s houses more affordable? This question has never been addressed.”
Cr Linda Cooper said it was about finding a middle ground.
“We are pushing the density out further and further and not allowing enough intensification in the centre where people can easily catch public transport,” Cooper said.
Cooper said that while she would vote for the resolution because she wanted to have a say, she was also “disgusted” by the way central government had treated Auckland.
“It is about amenity. Intensification without proper infrastructure, good parks and good public transport is a nightmare. I hope Aucklanders really understand that we have to do this.”
Member Glenn Wilcox said it was not an easy process and some members would be conflicted.
“Intensification has already happened. It is just unregulated,” Wilcox said.
Cr Wayne Walker said the plan changes would not result in any significant improvement.
“Affordable houses do not make much money for developers,” Walker said.
He said virtually every property value would increase under the new plans which ran “counter to the intention” of the policies.
“We, as a Council have put up a woefully insufficient fight and as a consequence, the government has got away with this.”
Snells Beach and Algies Bay, Wellsford, Te Hana, Matakana, Omaha, Point Wells and Waiwera were specifically endorsed as not having the Medium Density Residential Standards apply because they had a population less than 5000 people and were not part of Auckland’s urban environment.
Cr Christine Fletcher, Tracy Mulholland, Greg Sayers, Desley Simpson, Sharon Stewart, Wayne Walker and John Watson abstained from the vote.
