Council moves to protect Auckland's volcanic cones

About 800 Auckland homes face strict controls on development.

In a bid to preserve the natural landscape of Mt Eden, Mt Albert, Mt St Johns, Mt Hobson and the Glendowie coastal cliffs, the Auckland City Council yesterday proposed strict new rules setting out what property owners can and cannot do to their homes and sections.

The proposed plan change affects about 800 homes zoned residential 3.

Under the new rules, property owners will need a resource consent to demolish or remove homes built before 1940 and resource consent for additions and alterations. Previously, homes could be demolished or altered without resource consent.

New buildings must not be more than 8m high or taller than adjacent buildings. There are landscape requirements and restrictions on earthworks and retaining walls.

Many of the rules are similar to rules brought in last year affecting 16,300 homes in character suburbs, such as demolishing or removing homes built before 1940.

Like the plan change for character suburbs, home owners have the weight of the law on their side to demolish homes or renovate them without needing a resource consent while the plan change goes through the regulatory process before being written into the district plan. This could take four or five months, subject to appeals.

Environment, Heritage and Urban Form committee chairwoman Christine Caughey said growth in Auckland was leading to pressure for more development in these geologically precious areas.

"It is important that we manage growth in these areas in a controlled and sensible way. We do not want to see development of such a size and scale that it dominates these stunning natural features," Christine Caughey said.

Public submissions close on June 19.

Meanwhile, the council has discovered another eight applications in its files to demolish homes in residential 1 and 2 character suburbs, bringing the number of applications to 25.

Council officers have not turned down any of them but 14 are on hold awaiting more information or being processed.

Preservation rules

Resource consent needed to demolish or remove homes built before 1940 and for alterations.

Controls over size, type, landscaping and character of new homes.

8m height restriction or same height as adjacent buildings.

1.4m height restriction on new fences or 1.8m if a minimum of 40 per cent of fence is transparent.