More land needed for Auckland growth - council report

The plan's aim was therefore to deliver sufficient business-zoned land and infrastructure to allow growth to proceed. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Without action, Auckland faces a shortage of business-zoned land, potentially hampering manufacturing, transport, storage, construction and wholesale trades.

An Auckland Council document studying the effect of the Unitary Plan on business has examined the city's growth potential and says more land is needed if the city's productivity and employment expansion are to continue.

South Auckland, the northwest and the Warkworth/Silverdale areas are tagged as having the potential for growth because there is land for expansion there.

The document, Shaping a Business-friendly City, released today, said economic growth was one of the main drivers of the 30-year Unitary Plan.

"The challenge, as set out in the Auckland Plan, is to accommodate over the next 30 years up to 275,000 new jobs, up to one million more people, at least 1400ha of additional business land and an average expected demand for 13,000 new dwellings per year," it said.

The plan's aim was therefore to deliver sufficient business-zoned land and infrastructure to allow growth to proceed.

"At current growth rates, we face a shortage of business-zoned land which is a problem for land-extensive industries such as manufacturing, transport and storage, construction and wholesale trade. These activities face pressure from higher value activities including retail, service sectors and in some places residential growth," the plan said.

Some sectors will see an extra 10,000 jobs created in the next 20 years, the document said, citing business services, health and community services, education, construction, retail and accommodation, restaurants and bars.

City of potential

South Auckland:
33,000-42,000 extra dwellings, 35,000 additional jobs.

Northwest Auckland:
12,000-14,000 extra dwellings.

Warkworth and Silverdale:
16,000-20,000 extra dwellings, 11,000 extra jobs.

(Source: Shaping a business-friendly city, Auckland Council).