Bill will hold up housing plan Council

Amy Adams, Environment Minister. Photo / David White.

Minister rejects fears changes would snag draft plan notification until after election.

Auckland Council believes the timetable for a new rulebook that sets out to build high-rise apartments and free up land for housing is at risk from a Government bill - a claim hotly disputed by Environment Minister Amy Adams.

In a submission on the Resource Management Reform Bill, the council says the process outlined in the bill "will make it almost impossible for the council to notify the plan [rulebook] in this current electoral term".

The council wants to notify the draft unitary plans in September after receiving public feedback on a plan that is generating a lot of debate and concern in communities across Auckland.

The submission said it would take until the end of July for the council to analyse, hear and respond to feedback on the early draft. Public feedback closes on May 31.

The Crown would then appoint an auditor to run the ruler over the draft - known as a section 32 analysis - before reporting to the Ministry for the Environment 60 working days before the plan was notified.

The council is pushing to have the 60 working day timeline reduced to 30 days to allow the plan to be notified in September.

Otherwise, a senior council source told the Herald, there was not enough time to release the plan before the local body elections on October 12 and it would be the New Year before it was released.

Ms Adams did not accept the plan was at risk of being delayed because of the requirements to prepare a "robust" section 32 analysis.

She said the results of the consultation on the draft plan could be continually fed through to the section 32 analysis.

"The timeframe allows 30 working days for an audit of the analysis and then 30 working days for Auckland Council to respond by making any necessary changes.

"So, if Auckland Council's section 32 analysis is of a robust standard, there is every chance the timeframe will be much shorter," she said.

Ms Adams said getting the best possible plan notified should be the primary focus for the council.

Last night, a council source said a robust analysis should be done, but stood by the submission that the process could easily be completed in 30 days, not 60.