Media Release
14 March 2016

Planning to meet the needs of a growing Auckland

Ensuring future urban growth is well serviced is one of the key areas of Auckland Council’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s Better Urban Planning inquiry. The submission was endorsed by the Auckland Development Committee last week.

The main purpose of the inquiry is to review New Zealand’s urban planning system and identify the most appropriate system for allocating land use.

Land supply and land use is one of the factors that can influence the housing market. This is a particularly important issue in Auckland where our population is growing rapidly and demand for housing is outstripping supply.

Auckland Council worked with Auckland Transport and Watercare on thesubmission, which focused on ensuring that Auckland responds well to the demands of growth and meets the needs of current and future residents. The submission also focuses on how we pay for, phase and deliver infrastructure. Lastly the submission highlights the need to involve the public early on, and provide quality information and keep them well informed.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, who chairs the Auckland Development Committee, says “We welcome the inquiry, the timing is right to start a conversation about the future of urban planning. Planning shapes our cities and our lives and our communities have told us how important it is for them to be involved early on in the process.”

The inquiry builds on the commission’s previous Using Land for Housing Inquiry in 2015. The commission will release its draft report in July which will be open for public submissions and its final report will be tabled in Cabinet by 30 November 2016.

ENDS

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