‘Fresh look’ at rules protecting Auckland’s views on the agenda
Friday, 21 February 2025
The Government’s economic growth drive has continued with the first details of a plan to open up new land in Auckland for high-density housing development.
Transport and Housing Minister Chris Bishop, speaking to a business audience in Auckland today, said the Government was open to adjusting the city’s 73 “viewshafts”.
Since the 1970s, Auckland’s development rules have had limitations on where new buildings can be constructed so as to preserve a direct eye line to volcanic cones.
The most notable of these, the E10, ensured travellers heading into the city from the North Shore had a clear view of Mount Eden despite it being on the other side of the central business district.
Bishop said some of these rules no longer made sense.
“The Unitary Plan protects the view from the tolling booths on the North Shore, so that those people sitting in their cars getting ready to pay their toll for the Harbour Bridge have a nice view of Mount Eden,” he said.
“Of course there hasn’t been tolling booths on the North Shore since the mid-1980s.”
Bishop said he and Auckland mayor Wayne Brown had discussed taking a “fresh look” at Auckland’s viewshaft settings in its Unitary Plan.
“We agree that the time is right to start the conversation. This is particularly relevant where the viewshafts impact the CBD and major transit corridors.”
Bishop said admiring that view of Mount Eden would now be considered dangerous-driving, and at the expense of economic growth. A study done in 2018 showed that its cost was roughly $1.4 billion in lost development opportunities.
“This is just the impact of one of the 73 viewshafts,” said Bishop. “It is worth stressing that the cost is almost certainly much greater than $1.4 billion. It only includes costs to the city centre, and about half the land under E10 falls outside the city centre. So add that on.”
The Government was not intending to remove the viewshafts, said Bishop, but they could be “tweaked”. He said the E10 could be adjusted by just 4.5 degrees to the left to “improve development opportunities by hundreds of million of dollars while still meaning you can see Mount Eden”.
Cultural considerations would be taken into account in any changes and Bishop said he had already spoken with the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
“We are committed to trying to find a way though – alongside mana whenua - to get the balance right between economic growth, and the special role these maunga play in the unique identity of Auckland.“
Any changes will likely be a while away. Speaking to media, Bishop said it was time to start thinking about the future of Auckland.
“A couple of obvious ones are development in and around train stations and particularly housing in and around those stations as well,” he said, citing the suburb of Kingsland as one example.
“Ultimately decisions around Auckland’s district plan … are decisions for Aucklanders. But clearly the Government has an interest in that as well because the success of Auckland is integral to the success of the country as well.”
The announcement was made as part of a wider economic growth policy by the Government, targeted at Auckland.
An investment of $200m will see the removal of seven level crossings across parts of Auckland to help travellers fully capitalise on the benefits of the yet-to-open City Rail Link.
Bishop said the level crossings ‒ six in Takanini and one in Glen Innes ‒ would be replaced in order to improve public safety but also increase productivity.
With more trains running as part of the City Rail Link, due for completion next year, the level crossings would mean more frequent delays for motorists.
“Investment in Auckland’s level crossings delivers a faster, safer, and more reliable transport system. It’s a win, win, win,” said Bishop.
Congestion pricing was also on the way for the city, confirmed Bishop. “Congestion stifles economic growth in Auckland, with studies showing that it costs between $900 million to $1.3 billion per year,” said the minister.