On 29 September 2022, Property Council submitted to Auckland Council on Plan Change 79. Plan Change 79 contains a series of transport-related changes to Auckland’s Unitary Plan.
Why this matters to our members
Property Council advocates for the creation and retention of a well-designed, functional and sustainable built environment. Auckland Council’s approach to transport matters in the Unitary Plan is of immense significance to our members. These policies will shape the future built environment of Auckland for generations, influencing outcomes across the entire property sector eco-system. We firmly believe that it is important that the voice of the property sector is heard at the decision-making table.
Our view
Our submission expressed our deep concerns regarding the potential impact of Plan Change 79 on Auckland’s built environment. We opposed the majority of Plan Change 79, as in our view the proposals will result in loss of amenities and will decrease site yields. Plan Change 79 will have a significant impact on intensified developments such as townhouses, terraced houses, and apartments. As a result, there will be further barriers to housing affordability ambitions, with the loss of yield and amenity decreasing much-needed housing supply.
At a high level, we recommended that Auckland Council:
- Do not introduce minimum accessible car parking standards;
- Do not introduce loading zone requirements for residential developments;
- Do not adopt a 1.8m standard for pedestrian walkways and instead seeks to align pedestrian walkways with the same width standard (1.2m) as used for internal corridors;
- Makes use of design guidelines and development incentives to resolve concerns over accessways;
- Do not adopt mandatory bike parking for residential developments;
- Do not adopt the proposed mandatory EV charging capacity rules;
- Do not adopt the proposed Heavy vehicle access provisions; and
- Do not adopt the proposed changes to access to rear sites.