Aucklanders split over 15-storey-plus buildings near key train stations

The Government wants greater intensification around stations, like the new station at Manugawhau (Mt Eden) being built for the City Rail Link.

A Government directive to allow apartment buildings of at least 15 storeys near key train stations in Auckland has been labelled “blunt and severe” by one community leader and sensible by a housing lobby group.

The split comes as a Herald graphic estimates the likely area where the 15-storey buildings would be permitted across Sandringham, Morningside, Kingsland and parts of Mt Eden and Grey Lynn.

Coalition for More Homes spokesman Scott Caldwell said it makes a lot of sense to go beyond an earlier instruction for at least six storeys, saying 15 storeys is “highish” but already permitted and built in places like Henderson, New Lynn and Takapuna.

“No one is particularly frustrated by Takapuna, and it does make sense that around these core nodes you have the more tower-style development as opposed to apartment block development,” he said.

Kendyl Smith, who chairs the Albert-Eden Local Board, where five stations are earmarked for apartments of at least 15 storeys and 10 storeys, said “there would be a significant impact on our community in a very blunt and severe way”.

“Intensification is great, but it has to be done more gently,” she said.

The Government directive is aimed at growth once the City Rail Link opens. Photo / Michael Craig

Smith and Caldwell were responding to Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown instructing Auckland Council to allow apartment buildings of at least 15 storeys at Maungawhau (Mt Eden), Kingsland and Morningside stations, and at least 10 storeys at Mt Albert and Baldwin Ave stations.

The directive applies to a “walkable catchment” defined in the National Policy Statement - Urban Development as a 10-minute walk from the station, or around 800m.

A Herald graphic of an 800m radius from the stations shows the coverage of the walkable catchments stretching down Sandringham and Dominion Rds, into Arch Hill, Newton and the northern side of Mt Eden, where buildings of at least 15 storeys would be permitted.

The 10-storey-plus rules centred on Mt Albert and Baldwin Ave train stations stretch to Unitec’s campus and Mt Albert shops, which Simeon Brown said were ripe for development.

“Increasing development in the area will allow for more commuters and more students to live close to the stations, adding vibrancy to these suburbs,” the minister said.

Caldwell said the type of development around Baldwin Ave, predominantly a single-storey suburban neighbourhood, was a central location that could be developed differently into a walkable, mixed-use neighbourhood not severed by a major road.

Graeme Easte, a former Albert-Eden Local Board member with an interest in planning matters, lives about a seven-minute walk from the Baldwin Ave train station.

He said, taking the long-term view, more density and higher buildings were probably a good thing, but along the way, there would be random casualties where traditional houses were built out and, in some cases, put in substantial shade.

“That not only affects their living, but also means it’s difficult when they want to sell, and depresses the likely asking price.”

Easte said a new neighbourhood of 10-storey buildings with suitable separation in 50 years was a good idea, but density must be done well, and not left to developers who “build to the dollar”.

In Sydney, he said, there were bunches of one-, two- and three-storey housing and bunches of skyscrapers at Bondi Junction built above a train station with 15- and 20-storey buildings. If you swivelled around, you could see the next station with a similar sprouting of tall buildings.

Smith said the board had not spoken about the changes, but her thoughts were that intensification was needed, particularly around transport hubs and linked to the CRL.

“We need to consider how big an impact this could have on our existing heritage, special character and communities.

“We don’t want to see these areas and communities destroyed in the rush towards intensification. You rarely get good outcomes when momentous decisions like this are imposed upon a community,” said Smith.

Mt Albert train station.

Sally Hughes, who chairs the Character Coalition of 60 heritage and community groups, said the Government directive felt like an attempt to get rid of entire special character areas of kauri villas and Californian bungalows.

She cited the case of Owairaka with 224 special character houses, of which only 20 were within one of the proposed walkable catchments.

“We would be sacrificing that whole special character area for the 20 houses in the walkable catchment. It’s a very high price to pay,” said Hughes, saying there was plenty of scope in the special character areas and close to the stations, crying out for development.

Caldwell said the sensible approach would be to exclude viewshafts and special character areas inside the walkable catchments, saying the coalition was in favour of the two protective measures in principle if there were more targeted interventions.

“But currently Mangawhau does have quite broad viewshafts and we favour taking a look at whether we can make these a bit more targeted so we can have views from and to the maunga while also allowing development,” he said

Caldwell said it would also make a lot of sense to have higher limits at other train stations close to the city centre and well-connected to the CRL, including Grafton, Parnell, Newmarket, Ellerslie, and Greenlane.

Christine Fletcher,​councillor for Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward, said she supported greater housing and development around CRL stations in principle, but the proposed targets appeared overly ambitious.

“They will require careful understanding of and scrutiny around the requirement of accompanying social infrastructure investment (schools etc) and parks and open community spaces.”

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