More than 1200 high-risk Auckland properties are expected to be purchased by Auckland Council as part of the recovery from the 2023 extreme weather events - making it one of the largest land acquisition programmes undertaken in New Zealand.
We are carefully deciding what to do with this storm-affected land, with decisions expected to take years - we do not expect to confirm many in 2026.
Uses being considered for storm-affected land
Behind the scenes we are carefully considering and testing all the possibilities at every site to understand what can safely happen there, balancing safety and value for Aucklanders.
Possible future uses will depend on whether the property is retained by council or sold. In line with the Future Land Use Policy, we want to ensure Auckland’s land is used effectively to provide homes and maintain strong communities, while managing risk and reducing the financial impact to ratepayers.
If we keep the land, some examples for use could include:
- flood resilience and stream management
- adding it to neighbouring parkland or bush
- managing it as high-hazard land.
If we don’t keep the land, some examples for use could include:
- sale for safe redevelopment
- sale with conditions to manage the risk (such as converting ground floor units to storage)
- sale to neighbours for extra backyard space.
We expect many properties will be needed for flood resilience projects - but confirming this may take years to investigate, from feasibility and design to funding approval.
Auckland Council is considering a range of options for storm-affected land that manages the risks, ensures the land is used effectively and efficiently.
How decisions will be made
Suggestions from those that suggested permanent uses via our registration of interest process will be part of our thinking, and we'll be in touch with them as soon as there's something to share.
Responsibility for buying and selling land sits with Auckland Council’s Governing Body. In making decisions, they consider any views and preferences expressed by a local board.
The local board is responsible for communicating their views and preferences about storm-affected land in their rohe (boundaries); and is responsible for any storm-affected land that the Governing Body makes available for a local park and/or local service activity – including budget required to maintain it.
With 1200 properties to assess, carefully deciding the future use for every section will take several years.
Management of council land after purchase.
Potential sales
While council expects to retain over half of Category 3 properties, it will look for opportunities to sell land for a range of safe uses to reduce costs for ratepayers.
In some situations, the land may be suitable for safer redevelopment such as building on a different part of the site, or with new mitigations put in place. Properties in this situation will be sold on the open market with relevant requirements attached, under a transparent process via Auckland Council’s property team.
In the case of properties that won’t be used for resilience projects, or can’t be carefully developed, the land may be offered to adjacent neighbours to purchase as additional backyard space. Because of the hazard risk on the land, there will be legal limits on what you can do with the land.
If you have suggested a specific use for a specific property, or for Category 3 land in general, your suggestion will be included as part of the decision making for these properties outlined above.
Category 3 neighbours
While decisions for the future of all 1200 Category 3 sites will take some time, we know this uncertainty can be difficult for neighbours, and particularly for shared ownership neighbours.
Where Category 3 properties are part of a cross-lease or unit title, council will work with shared owners to resolve its involvement, with each site handled individually. Given the number of properties in this complex situation, it will take time to get to, and work through, each.
We will continue keeping neighbours informed on the removal of storm-affected homes, including seeking any written consent that may be required from cross-lease owners.
Where neighbours or community members have permanent use suggestions for specific Category 3 sites, we can capture that information in our future land use expressions of interest register below.
Guides for Category 3 neighbours
More information is available in our guides for Category 3 neighbours:
- Home Removal Guide For Neighbours (2.7MB PDF)
- Guide for cross lease and unit title neighbours of Category 3 properties (4MB PDF)
Policy and implementation plan
Our Policy and Planning Committee approved the 'Storm Affected Land Use Policy and implementation approach' on 10 April 2025. This document will guide the process for permanent land use decisions.
You can download the document to learn more Storm-affected land use policy and implementation approach (4.9MB PDF) on the Auckland Council website.
Suggest a permanent use
If you would like to make a suggestion for a permanent use of a Category 3 site, please read the policy and approach, and then make your suggestion via our future land use expressions of interest register.
If you have suggested a specific use for a specific property, or for Category 3 land in general, your suggestion will be part of the decision making for these properties outlined above.
Interim use of storm affected Category 3 land
In the meantime, we have been confirming safe temporary uses where possible, including planting, movie production, police training, grazing, and community activities. Interim uses on some properties will continue for several years while resilience projects are worked through.
Community groups and organisations can apply to use storm-affected land for non-residential, low-risk activities—such as planting, grazing, play equipment, or temporary events—provided the site is assessed as safe and suitable. You can download the document to learn more: Guidelines Interim Storm Affected Land Use
Once you have read the guidelines, you can submit your application using the form: Request for Interim Use of Category 3 Land.
More information
We acknowledge you may have questions during this time, and we’re here to help. For more information, please read the guides for Category 3 neighbours linked above.
To read frequently asked questions about the home removals programme, long-term, and interim land use, visit our Recovery FAQs page.
To log a maintenance request on a Category 3 property, use Auckland Council's Report a Problem Tool, under the Council Properties section.
If you can’t find the answer to your question or have urgent concerns about a council-owned property, please let us know by emailing stormaffectedland@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz