Council's high-density housing circles spark alarm

By GEOFF CUMMING

Most Aucklanders do not know they exist. But circles drawn around 19 town centres mark the ground for a showdown over the future look and lifestyle of the city's leafy suburbs.

Apartments and terraced housing or villas and bungalows?

The circles signify areas the Auckland City Council thinks suitable for high-density living, as it plans to squeeze 141,000 more people on to the isthmus in the next two decades.

Under the new residential 8 zoning suggested for these areas, three- and four-storey developments will be allowed within an 800m radius of strip-shopping and commercial centres such as Avondale, Grey Lynn, Newmarket, Remuera, Onehunga, Glen Innes and Otahuhu.

Demand for apartment living is soaring, but fans of the quarter-acre lifestyle fear that traditional neighbourhoods will be levelled.

The circles extend well beyond mainstreets into avenues of traditional, low-density housing.

The council says residents will have chances to influence exactly where high-density housing goes through "liveable community" planning workshops.

"You're not going to see the council charging in and rezoning without discussion with the community," says environmental planning manager Penny Pirrit. Stronger design rules are also promised.

But resident groups are deeply suspicious. Panmure Community Action Group spokesman Keith Sharp says the public must have a say on new developments.

"We've heard all the assurances from council over rules and design but at the end of the day it's designed to cram a lot of people into a small area and that's something we are not used to in New Zealand.

"There's potential for it to go wrong, especially if developers see it as an opportunity to make a killing. There will be major conflict if that happens."

Planner and community advocate Christine Caughey says the circles encroach into "high-amenity" residential areas.

"I see very big danger signs - residents are going to fight.

"Some of the areas with high-density circles around them have very high-quality heritage houses on them. They will be in for the bulldozers.

"I don't believe it's an integrated response which will bring about good urban design and the best result for Auckland."

The Remuera Community Committee secretary Jennie Hayman says there is little capacity to house more people around the Remuera shopping centre "without major bulldozing".

* Read more tomorrow on nzherald.co.nz

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