Paula Bennett: More planning needs to go into high-density housing development

Hobsonville Point is an example of high density done well. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Opinion

I love Auckland. I was born here but did spend most of my early years in Kinloch and Taupō. I moved back here in 1992. I have lived on the North Shore, in the city centre and West Auckland. I support the Blues and I fish in the Hauraki Gulf. I love the two coastlines, the views from North Head and how diverse our population is.

Recently I haven’t liked Auckland. I don’t say that lightly, but I feel angry that a city with so much going for it has so much wrong with it.

If we haven’t all returned to the office post-Covid, then why are the roads so insanely busy on my morning and afternoon commute? It’s not like we have had an influx of new residents, but this would be the worst traffic that I have ever seen.

My beautiful suburb of Te Atatū Peninsula is losing its character. I am all for more housing and I don’t mind higher density, but what is being built seems to be of low quality, doesn’t include parking and much of it is just plain ugly.

I really hope that there are changes to our housing density rules. There are many examples where good design and access to public transport support high density, and places where green fields are ready to be built on. When we talk about greenfields, we envisage all of our farms becoming suburbs, but of course that isn’t the reality.

I was the MP for Hobsonville Point, it is an example of high density done well. It was well planned. Infrastructure was put in before the housing and they demanded high standards and green spaces. I think because nearly all of it is high and medium density, it looks and feels better than the haphazard cheap stuff that is going up in our communities.

Drury is a development that just makes sense. Look what they did over the hill in Pōkeno. Drury will also have its own economy with people able to work and live in the area. It will have three train stations and should be supported.

Out west, we have watched the development from Westgate to Kumeū. That one is a little more controversial because the infrastructure hasn’t supported the development and people can’t get around easily. But with some investment, it makes sense that it continues to grow.

It doesn’t make sense for Te Atatū to have cheap, haphazard, poor-quality housing without thinking carefully about the corresponding infrastructure needed. It’s a peninsula, so there is only one road in and out. We don’t have railways or ferry services, so as our population increases so does the traffic. A short car ride through the village can take 15 minutes at any time of the day. On the positive side, the people are fantastic, our village retailers are all just lovely, we are a mix of it all and we have beautiful views and walks. We just need some planning.

Paula Bennett is a former Deputy Prime Minister and National Party politician who now works at Bayleys Real Estate as national director-customer engagement.