New Unitary Plan recommends greater housing density for Auckland

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Auckland is set for much greater intensification with the release of its new planning rulebook.

The long-awaited Unitary Plan for the super city was released publicly on Wednesday and is now available on the Auckland Council website.

The council has until August 19 to decide whether it accepts the recommendations.

Auckland will need 400,000 more homes in the next 30 years, the Independent Hearings Panel, which has produced the plan, said.

**READ MORE:

* Read the proposed Unitary Plan here**

*** Auckland's Unitary Plan recommendations revealed: Live blog​

* What does Auckland's Unitary Plan mean?

* Government may step in if Auckland doesn't put a new city plan in place**

This is up significantly from the 213,000 new dwellings Auckland Council said would be needed when it released the first draft of the global blueprint in 2013.

There should be 22 per cent fewer city sections zoned for just a single house, and 25 per cent more zoned for higher density apartments and townhouses, the panel has said.

It has largely upheld the council's vision of a compact urban centre that develops up rather than out.

It has recommended retaining the Rural Urban Boundary limiting expansion on the city fringes, but extending it by 30 per cent and changing the rules so that individual landowners can apply to shift it.

However it also allows for development in new towns and villages outside the Rural Urban Boundary, and for more land zoned Future Urban.

It says 60-70 per cent of development should be within the metropolitan urban limits, and around town centres and transport hubs.

The panel has recommended removing density controls limiting the number of units which can be built on suburban sections.

It has also proposed removing blanket heritage protections on houses built before 1944, but preserving historic places and special character areas.

It says the requirement for on-site parking should be reduced.

The panel recommends dropping the schedule of 3600 sites significant to local Maori, saying there is a lack of evidence supporting it.

The schedule could be revised in future following consultation and research, it said.

Mayor Len Brown says the release of the proposed Unitary Plan is a major milestone for Auckland.

'We've had four years of debate and everyone has had ample opportunity to have their say,' he said.

'The process from here is that we as a council need to consider the panel's recommendations and make final decisions.'

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse said the panel's recommendations must now be accepted in part or in full or rejected with clear reasons.

'There is now a very clear legal process for councillors to follow,' she said.

Mayoral candidate Mark Thomas said the proposed Unitary Plan would disappoint many looking for a balanced growth plan for Auckland.

'The recommendations represent a massive upzoning of wide parts of Auckland, a 30 per cent expansion of urban Auckland into rural areas and a reduction of character protection,' he said.

Auckland Council has 20 working days to consider the recommendations of the panel and has to publicly notify its decisions by August 19.

Councillors will begin their consideration of the recommendations on August 10.

Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Kim Campbell said the plan allowed for commercial development in key areas of the city but that did not align with new residential development.

Most new commercial land was in the city's north and central areas but the highest areas of residential intensification were in west and south Auckland, he said.

'There appears to be a disconnect between population growth and commercial development,' Campbell said. 

'Its vital infrastructure leads development for commercial and residential needs.'

Harcourts chief executive Chris Kennedy welcomed plans to build 422,000 new houses, expand the urban boundary and increase intensification.

'This is a bold move that looks just like what Auckland needs. Let's embrace the change,' Kennedy said.

'We must hope that Auckland Council is bold in its approach to these proposed plans and we can start working towards a more successful city.'

Meanwhile, the Property Institute of New Zealand has slammed the plan, saying it contains a number of 'bizarre and divisive recommendations' which 'must be resisted at all costs'.

Chief executive Ashley Church applauded recommendations around intensification, a greater focus on metropolitan centres and the extension of urban growth boundaries.

However, he said the recommendations should be balanced with a 'strong commitment' to the protection of culture, heritage and lifestyle facilities.

'Instead, we have a document that appears to be so obsessed with the development of new dwellings that it is prepared to forgo the things which have made Auckland into the world's third most livable city.'

Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith called a press conference on Wednesday regarding the plan, only to refuse to answer any questions about the details.

'I'm highly reluctant to comment on the detail of the plan because there is a semi-judicial process underway with the Independent Hearings Panel having reported to council and it's not for me to be trying to influence the council as it now works its way through those recommendations and comes to a decision.'

The Government welcomed the release of the recommendations, labelling it as crucial to Auckland's future.

In the past when Auckland was made up of several councils the inability for them to agree on a way forward with regards to housing had exacerbated the current problems.

It would now be easier for the single council to fix things, he said.

'That confusion resulted in too little provision for growth and [is] at the root cause of Auckland's current housing challenges. The strength of the single Auckland council is that the issue has to be resolved.

'I've got confidence in Mayor Len Brown and the council understanding how important the new plan is to Auckland's future. We want to give the Auckland Council the clear air to work through the recommendations to the council.'

Prime Minister John Key said he did not want to offer a view on the plan 'because ultimately the council need to work their way through it'.

The hearings panel seemed to have done 'a reasonably good job', he said.

'Everyone can see that Auckland needs to grow, it needs to develop more housing, more commercial space and I think that's what the panel's been trying to do.'