PC 78: Intensification

About the plan change

​This proposed plan change responds to the government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (amended in 2022) and requirements of the Resource Management Act. These mean the council must:

• enable more development in the city centre and at least six-storey buildings within walkable catchments from the edge of the City Centre, Metropolitan Centres and Rapid Transit Stops
• enable development in and around neighbourhood, local and town centres
  
• incorporate Medium Density Residential Standards that enable three storey housing in relevant residential zones in urban Auckland
  
• implement qualifying matters to reduce the height and density of development required by the RMA to the extent necessary to accommodate a feature or value that means full intensification is not appropriate.
  

Status

Notified on 18 August 2022.

Submissions closed on 29 September 2022.

Summary of Decisions Requested notified on 5 December 2022.

Independent Hearings Panel paused some hearings in response to council’s request (PDF 104KB).  See 19 May 2023 minutes (PDF 331KB).

See the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) independent hearings webpage.

Hearings - For more information, see the NPS-UD Hearing Documents.

Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) Recommendations for the City Centre received on 8 May 2025.

Auckland Council's Decision on IHP Recommendations for the City Centre notified on 29 May 2025.

Operative in part (as it relates to City Centre) on 6 June 2025.

Withdrawn in part on 9 October 2025, 5pm.  Matters excluded from the partial withdrawal are:

a) Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone topics

b) Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone precinct topics (excluding Westgate and New Lynn precincts which           are withdrawn) and

c) qualifying matter topics related to the Business – Metropolitan Centre Zone.

Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) Recommendations for the Business – Metropolitan Centre Zone received on 12 September 2025.

Auckland Council's Decision on IHP Recommendations for the Business - Metropolitan Centre zone and related provisions made on 27 November 2025.

Auckland Council's letter to the Minister regarding two rejected IHP Recommendations sent on 19 December 2025.

Minister Bishop’s letter dated 23 March 2026 in response to the Council’s decision to reject two IHP recommendations on Plan Change 78: Intensification for the Business - Metropolitan Centre zone and related provisions, advising that he considered there was no decision for him to make.

Auckland Council's Decision on IHP Recommendations for the Business - Metropolitan Centre zone and related provisions notified on 30 March 2026.

Operative on 8 May 2026.

Variations proposed alongside PC 78

Variations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been withdrawn.  Find out more information on Variations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Plan change documents

Operative documents

Further documents will be available on 8 May 2026 when Plan Change 78 Intensification (as it relates to the Business - Metropolitan Centre, and other related matters) is operative.

Metropolitan Centre Zone – Auckland Council decision documents

Included here is the Auckland Council decision made on the Independent Hearings Panel recommendations for the Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone provisions including relevant precincts (excluding New Lynn and Westgate Precincts) and qualifying matters in Plan Change 78: Intensification to the Auckland Unitary Plan.

Public Notice - 30 March 2026

Auckland Council Decision - 27 November 2025

Committee report - PC78 Decisions on IHP Metro Centre Recommendations

Auckland Council’s decision rejected the IHP recommendations:

• proposing to apply, part of the Newmarket Special Character Area Business overlay that is outside Newmarket's Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone
• proposing a site-specific restricted discretionary demolition rule for Business – Mixed Use zoned sites at the corner of Remuera and Middleton Roads.

The reason for rejecting these recommendations is that they apply to land that is outside Newmarket's Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone. Plan Change 78: Intensification was withdrawn in part on 9 October 2025 in relation to the land to which the rejected IHP recommendations relate.

Auckland Council’s decision accepted all other IHP recommendations.

Auckland Council’s letter and attachments to the Minister, dated 19 December 2025, is available here:

Letter - Minister - Chris Bishop - IHP recommendations – 19 December 2025

Committee report - PC78 Decisions on IHP Metro Centre Recommendations 27 November 2025

Council decision- Metropolitan Centre Zone - 27 November 2025

Newmarket Special Character Areas Business Overlay map

The Minister's letter to Auckland Council, dated 23 March 2026

Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone - Independent Hearings Panel Recommendation documents

The Independent Hearings Panel for  Plan Change 78: Intensification to the Auckland Unitary Plan provided its recommendations on the Metropolitan Centre Zone provisions including relevant precincts (excluding New Lynn and Westgate Precincts) and qualifying matters to the council on 12 September 2025.

This section includes:

• Recommendation Report Hearing Topics – Metropolitan Centre Zone, Metropolitan Centre Precincts and relevant Qualifying Matters
• Supporting appendices included the following recommended provisions:
  • Chapter H9 Business – Metropolitan Centre Zone, I425 Manukau Precinct, 1502 Albany Precinct, I540 Takapuna 1 Precinct, I336 Sylvia Park Precinct, D9 Significant Ecological Areas Overlay, D13 Notable Trees Overlay and L Schedules, D14 Volcanic Viewshafts and Height Sensitive Areas Overlay, D18 Special Character Areas Overlay – Residential and Business, D26 National Grid Corridor Overlay, D24 Aircraft Noise Overlay.
  • Additionally, recommendations for the following Chapters are included where they relate to the Metropolitan Centre Zone and relevant Precincts: E3 Lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands; E15 Vegetation management and biodiversity; E26 Infrastructure; E36 Natural hazards and flooding; E38 Subdivision – Urban, K Designations; and J Definitions.

PC 78 submissions relating to Metropolitan topics:

Withdrawal in part document

Operative in part documents

City Centre decision documents

Included here is the Auckland Council decision made on the recommendations for the City Centre by the Independent Hearings Panel for the Plan Change 78 Intensification notified on 29 May 2025.

The council's decision includes:

• Panel recommendations accepted by the council.

Auckland Council accepted all of the Independent Hearings Panel's recommendations for the City Centre.

Recommendation documents

The Independent Hearings Panel for the Plan Change 78 Intensification delivered its recommendations on the City Centre to the council on 8 May 2025.

This section includes:

• Recommendation Report Hearing Topics - City Centre, City Centre Precincts and relevant Qualifying Matters 
• Supporting appendices, including the following recommended provisions:
  • Chapters H8 Business - City Centre Zone, H9 Business - Metropolitan Centre Zone, H10 Business - Town Centre Zone, H11 Business - Local Centre Zone, H12 Business - Neighbourhood Centre Zone, H13 Business - Mixed Use Zone, H14 Business - General Business Zone, H15 Business - Business Park Zone, I201 Britomart Precinct, I202 Central Wharves Precinct, I205 Downtown West Precinct, I206 Karangahape Road Precinct, I207 Learning Precinct, I208 Port Precinct, I209 Quay Park Precinct, I210 Queen Street Valley Precinct, I211 Viaduct Harbour Precinct, I212 Victoria Park Market Precinct, I214 Wynyard Precinct, Chapter A Introduction, D14 Volcanic Viewshafts and Height Sensitive Areas Overlay, D26 National Grid Corridor Overlay, E25 Noise and vibration, Using Chapter K, Schedule 9 Volcanic Viewshafts Schedule, Appendix 11 Business - City Centre Zone sunlight admission into public places, and Appendix 20 Volcanic Viewshafts and Height Sensitive Areas - Values Assessments 

Updated combined summary of all decisions requested (at 11 July 2024) and further submission report (at 11 July 2024) including reallocated topics

Errata (late submission waiver granted) to the summary of decisions requested document – 21 August 2023

Further submission report documents

Errata (missed submission points) to the summary of decisions requested document – 3 March 2023

Errata (missed submission points) to the summary of decisions requested document – 27 February 2023

Errata (missed/ incorrect submission points)  to the summary of decisions requested document – 23 January 2023

Errata (missed submission points) to the summary of decisions requested document – 16 January 2023

Errata to the summary of decisions requested document – 12 December 2022

Notification of summary of decisions requested (SDR) documents – please refer to Combined summary of all decisions requested (at 30 Oct 2023 including reallocated topics) (PDF)

Information documents

Notification documents

PC78 Section 32 landscape report by Stephen Brown- as directed by IHP 21 April 2023

How to use Plan Change 78 map viewer

View the plan change maps