Why green, green grass becomes homes

By the time the Auckland region's population has reached 2 million - about 2050 - another 5000ha of greenfields on the outskirts will have vanished under housing.

That will represent about a 10 per cent increase in the region's present 55,000ha metropolitan area.

The expansion is being allowed for in proposed changes to the region's seven city or district councils' District Plans and the Auckland Regional Council Regional Policy Statement.

Even more "greenfield" land would be required if the proposed plans for intensive housing along transport corridors and in town and sub-regional centres were not being advanced at the same time.

The regional council says some expansion in new greenfield areas is necessary "to provide enough land and location choices for dwellings and businesses".

In recent decades the region's residential growth has been in suburban areas of Manukau, North Shore and Waitakere cities.

Future urban areas now proposed involve outer areas of the region - Rodney District in the north and Papakura City and Franklin District in the south and more of Waitakere City in the west. Selected rural towns are planned to accommodate more urban development, especially Helensville, Kumeu and Pukekohe, because of their location on rail lines. In Rodney the Snells/Algies Beaches area is proposed, and more area in Warkworth. Even Wellsford, further north, is under study.

The regional council says development is avoided in the most highly valued and sensitive natural areas and catchments.

These areas include the Waitakere and Hunua Ranges and localities such as Puhoi, Waiwera, Mahurangi (greater area), Weiti, Okura, eastern Waiheke Island and Pakiri and Whitford surrounds.

Franklin District is looking to manage growth, especially protecting the area's agricultural base, while still making provision for lifestyle blocks in some areas and contained coastal settlements.

The Waitakere Ranges, including their foothills and coastal settlements, are a dominant and highly valued iconic landform of the Auckland region. Yet the Regional Policy Statement says the area is "under unique pressure" for subdivision use and development because it is close to Auckland. This subject is under debate right now.

A sentence in the amended Regional Policy Statement says bluntly: "Accommodating future growth through expansion is unsustainable and contrary to the Regional Growth Strategy."

The dictates of the Resource Management Act and the recent Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Act 2004 (particularly co-ordinating public transport and growth) also affect the issue. The regional council says it is necessary to provide restricted opportunities for greenfield development through limited movement of the metropolitan urban limits.

The regional council will still consider requests from territorial local authorities to extend the urban limits beyond the presently suggested areas of expansion. But a successful application will depend on a whole range of conditions being met, including a raft of considerations contained in the Regional Policy Statement, covering such things as catchment management, stormwater and other environmental matters, transport and urban design.

The old development techniques of removing topsoil, completely altering landscapes and burying streams in pipes in pursuit of "lot yield efficiency" may have almost had their day.

How to make a difference

Eight councils are working on ways to handle the Auckland region's growth. You can make a submission by 5pm Friday.

Post to:

Project Leader - Auckland Planning Documents, Auckland Regional Council, Private Bag 92 012, Auckland.
Or fax: 09 366 2155

Or deliver to:

Project Leader - Auckland Planning Documents, Auckland Regional Council, Vodafone House, 21 Pitt St, Auckland