The following opinion piece was originally published in New Zealand Herald on 23 September 2024.
A recent opinion piece on Plan Change 79 (PC79), introduced to make changes to the city’s planning rules, made several incorrect and unsupported claims about its impacts, including on the cost of housing.
It's worth noting that, following public hearings, the decision by independent hearing commissioners to approve PC79 may still face appeals to the Environment Court, and the plan change is not yet operative. However, it’s important to explain some of the benefits of PC79, and aspects of the opinion piece would certainly benefit from clarification.
Plan Change 79 is an essential part of our growth and urban planning for Aucklanders. It was introduced as part of the council’s response to central government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD). This NPS directed councils across New Zealand to remove all minimum car parking requirements for on-site car parking in new developments. The NPS-UD and amendments to the Resource Management Act also drive greater intensification.
Removing parking minimums left gaps in regulations around safety and accessibility, particularly in medium- and high-density developments like townhouses, terraced housing and apartment buildings. Concerns have also arisen over pedestrian safety, and access for emergency and delivery vehicles. Without changes like those proposed in PC79, issues such as unsafe paths and driveways, accidents, poor lighting, and limited emergency and delivery access will worsen, affecting the quality of life for Aucklanders living in these developments.
These changes are a critical way for the council to assist with driveway safety, where runovers continue to be a significant cause of death and serious injury for children in New Zealand.
Research shows shared driveways significantly increase these risks, making dedicated pedestrian paths vital for safety. PC79 supports this approach by ensuring that development is well-designed, safe and accessible for all residents, including children, people with disabilities and older adults.
In the opinion piece, it was claimed that 10,000 homes a year will be affected by PC79.
Modelling and testing shows that PC79 would have a very small effect on the overall capacity for housing in Auckland. Similarly, the claim that PC79 will increase the price of affordable terrace and row housing by 20% lacks evidence. House prices depend on many factors including land values, market demand, inflation, and the scale and design of each development. In many cases complying with PC79 can be achieved through good design with little or no impacts on cost.
The long-term benefits of safety, accessibility, and future proofing for active and sustainable transport options are also overlooked. Electric vehicle charging provisions simply ensure that any undercover parking spaces for homes in a terrace or apartment building are provided with the capability to install charging equipment easily, should the developer choose to provide them in the future, without adding excessive costs.
Without car parks, residents are more likely to rely on alternative modes of transport such as bicycles, scooters, or powered mobility and these require some space for storage. The rules ensure flexibility in how storage can be provided, giving developers the freedom to find practical solutions tailored to their specific projects.
One of the critical reasons for PC79’s focus on driveways and access is to ensure that emergency services - such as fire and ambulance - can reach properties in a development quickly and without obstruction or delay, especially for larger developments.
This is not merely a regulatory issue; it is about protecting lives in a rapidly growing city, especially in medium- and high-density residential areas, where shared accessways, complex layouts and narrower streets, make it critical to plan for safe and swift access when emergencies occur.
This was an issue raised by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, who consistently advocate for clear access routes in urban areas as the city intensifies and FENZ fully support PC79. As a result, independent hearing commissioners, in their decision on PC79 approved amendments to address these concerns.
This planning tool is a necessary step forward in creating a safer, accessible, more sustainable, and more liveable Auckland.
It will help Tāmaki Makaurau to grow responsibly and ensure that our housing developments meet the needs of our future generations.
By John Duguid, General Manager of Planning and Resource Consents at Auckland Council
