Bruce Hucker: Closer living more affordable

In his article in The Business, "Rates risk driving people away", Owen McShane blames growth management strategies both for the depopulation of our cities and rates increases.

Let's take these two points in turn. Provisional 2006 census results indicate the Auckland region is New Zealand's fastest growing. With a population increase of 145,060 since 2001, the region's growth remains consistent with 2001 projections and simply contradicts Mr McShane's depopulation theory.

Also, about 60 per cent of Auckland's projected growth over the next 15 years will be the result of Aucklanders having babies.

Planning for increasing the intensity of our housing is one way we ensure our children and grandchildren will be able to afford to live here.

House prices, so closely linked to land value, as Mr McShane points out, will be out of their reach if we do not.

There are two prongs to Mr McShane's theory that growth management strategies are at least partially responsible for rates increases.

First, he maintains that the processes councils follow to implement their growth management strategies are increasingly expensive because "as the citizens see the unexpected outcomes of growth management they demand more intervention."

Where Auckland City is implementing its growth management strategy, the communities concerned participate in planning their futures. This consultation is part of a planning process Auckland City is unwilling to skimp on to save money.

The gains for communities that accept more people are better facilities and more local jobs.

Secondly, and significantly, Mr McShane suggests that intensification overloads existing infrastructure, resulting in funds being needed to increase infrastructure capacity. In fact, the opposite is true.

Allowing sprawl is more costly to the ratepayer than encouraging intensification. Auckland City's situation in this respect is unique in the Auckland region. We must increase the intensity of our development, as we have limited land on the isthmus in which to grow.

In response to this, the city's growth management strategy identifies town centres with good access to public transport that are suitable for accommodating the expected growth.

Auckland City intends making the most of infrastructure that is already in place.

Yes, existing stormwater and wastewater infrastructure across the isthmus requires maintaining and upgrading to accommodate the increased demands that additional people will make on it, but Mr McShane conveniently ignores the fact that new infrastructure does not come free.

In fact, overseas evidence shows that the nature of higher density development requires less extensive infrastructure to support it than lower density development, which ultimately diverts public funds from maintaining and improving existing infrastructure by demanding the creation of new infrastructure.

Sprawl generates the need for vast roading investment, for longer water and electricity lines and larger sewer systems. It diverts public money towards new public services such as schools, libraries, rubbish removal and police at the expense of the old.

By working to provide opportunities for people to live close to public transport services, Auckland City hopes to reduce the city's reliance on the private car. This in turn reduces the need for expensive roading investment which sprawled development requires. Having more people living close to public transport infrastructure also makes that service cheaper and improves its quality and frequency.

Finally, blending apartments and other types of medium density developments like town houses with traditional housing types will provide a diversity of living options that will allow the city to remain affordable for more people.

Consultation to develop Auckland City's long-term plan told us that people want an exciting, safe, vibrant and diverse city that manages growth without compromising the things we love about living in Auckland.

Achieving this vision will not come free, but allowing the city to grow in an unmanaged fashion will cost us more.

* Dr Bruce Hucker is Deputy Mayor of Auckland.