30.03.2012

Property Industry Applauds Hard Work On Auckland Plan

Property Council New Zealand applauds the extensive effort undertaken by Auckland Council to ensure it adopted a realistic and workable version of the Auckland Plan yesterday.

This document will have wide-reaching implications for Auckland’s development over the next 30 years, and it appears the final version now presents a viable plan based on evidence and analysis, according to Property Council’s chief executive Connal Townsend.

“The Auckland Plan includes recommendations from fine-grained analysis and reports into the council’s projections for housing placement in Auckland, undertaken by Property Council representatives from Jasmax and Studio D4,” said Mr Townsend.

“Noticeable changes to the final version of the plan include a gradual increase over a 30 year period for the total number of dwellings to be built in Auckland, instead of an expectation that construction would start this year while the property industry is still feeling the effects of the recession.

“The inclusion of review points in the updated plan is a welcome addition. This will allow Auckland Council’s development strategy to be reviewed every six years to make sure expectations are on track with its target for development.”

Under the revised plan, industrial development will also be reviewed every three years to ensure enough land has been allocated to keep up with demand, noted Mr Townsend. “This provision is essential to make sure residential growth in Auckland is adequately matched by the availability of business land and subsequent employment opportunities for Auckland’s growing population.

“The plan currently provides for 1,400 hectares of land for business and residential use, but Property Council is yet to be convinced of the provision for adequate business land.

“A balanced and rational approach to the provision of greenfields and brownfields land is needed by Auckland Council to cater for a population increase of one million people over the next three decades, which is a big jump on the current population of 1.5 million.

“Ensuring development can be realised through permissible treatment will be crucial if Auckland Council wants to achieve its targets set out in the plan, and this will be advocated for by Property Council in submissions on the Long Term Plan and Unitary Plan.”

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