Government has recently confirmed legislative changes that will allow Auckland Council to withdraw Plan Change 78. That gives us an opportunity to better protect people and property from future hazards, like flooding, while enabling more homes in better-connected, better-serviced areas.
In doing so, the Government requires us to enable more homes near key City Rail Link stations like Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland and Morningside – places where more people could live close to work, cut their commute and walk to the shops or train.
The 2023 floods were a turning point. It’s clear that not all land is suitable for new housing and stricter requirements are needed if homes are to be built in hazard areas, especially as climate change increases flood risks. But until now legislation prevented us from reducing development opportunities in high-risk areas. That’s something we pushed hard to change.
We now have an opportunity to introduce stronger rules to make homes more resilient and to limit housing in areas vulnerable to flooding. It’s a step in the right direction and we welcome the Government’s support.
Over the next 30 years, Auckland will need around 330,000 more homes. That growth isn’t optional, but we can shape where it happens. If we reduce housing where it floods, we need to say “yes” to homes in places that make more sense: near jobs, schools, services and especially public transport.
With more than $5 billion invested in the City Rail Link, we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape Auckland around rapid public transport. When trains are running every few minutes carrying tens of thousands of passengers, people should be able to live and work nearby.
We must give more people access to this new infrastructure – Cabinet Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown have been clear on that and I agree with them. This is not just for convenience, but to get the best return on public investment as well.
This is about unlocking real housing choices where most people can benefit. For young people trying to buy their first home, families wanting to live near school and work, and older Aucklanders wanting to downsize but stay connected to their community.
It’s not just about the number of homes built. It’s about where they are, whether they meet people’s needs, and whether they’re affordable at a time when house prices are around 7.5 times the median household income.
This reflects what Aucklanders have told us. They want more homes where jobs, shops, transport and services are within easy reach, not on the fringes and not where it floods. A recent University of Auckland study showed more than 90% of residents support higher-density housing near good public transport.
The Government has also said Auckland can opt out of the current Medium Density Residential Standards – the rules that allow three homes of up to three storeys on most residential sites across the city. But if we reduce housing in flood areas and scale back where this housing is, we are required to find that capacity in better-connected, lower-risk parts of the city.
The Government is clear that any new plan must enable the same, or greater, housing capacity than is enabled through our current plans.
This still requires the Government to change legislation before things proceed. However, we’re working through what a new plan might look like now and how we balance the need for more homes with stronger protections for housing in high-risk areas.
Auckland’s own experience shows that enabling a variety of housing where there is good access to jobs, shops and transport leads to more housing, more choices and supports improved affordability. At its heart, this is about people, making sure Aucklanders have more of what they need. More resilient homes, better transport options and neighbourhoods that support everyday life.
Change isn’t always easy. It means trade-offs and conversations about what needs to shift. But doing nothing means more risk, unaffordable housing and missed opportunities.
We’ll be sharing more in the months ahead. Aucklanders will get their say through the process – and we hope you do, because this is your city and your future too.
Auckland needs to step up, not step back. It’s about protecting what we value, while unlocking the benefits of more housing and business in the places that can support it most, and while making sure we have good housing options for our kids and grandkids – so they don’t feel they have to move overseas to the many cities that already plan and build this way.
A bullet point at the top of this column originally said Auckland Council can now withdraw Plan Change 78. The change has yet to effect.
