Development Strategy progress

​Monitoring report

This is the fourth monitoring report on the Auckland Plan 2050 Development Strategy. This report monitors building consents and code of compliance certificates issued for residential dwellings across Auckland. This reporting year covers the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

The findings show that in the four years since the Development Strategy was adopted, the pattern of growth and development activity continues to support the delivery of a more quality compact city.

Most growth has been in the existing urban area. Growth in rural areas has been limited. Across the region, dwellings consented for apartments and townhouses etc. are increasing at a faster rate than consents for standalone houses. This trend is particularly apparent in nodes and development areas.

Auckland is changing and our city is now growing up instead of just out. The number and location of dwelling consents and completions in 2021/2022 broadly follows the implementation of the quality compact approach and the multi-nodal model in the Development Strategy. The vision of a quality, compact future Auckland is gradually becoming reality.

Key findings of the report

• 21,607 dwellings were consented in 2021/2022, an increase of 14 per cent from the previous year. 83 per cent of these dwellings were consented in the existing urban area.
• In the existing urban area, most growth (89 per cent) occurred through intensification development.
• 11 per cent of development was in previously undeveloped areas, for example, Flat Bush.
• Apartments and townhouses etc. accounted for 69 per cent of all dwellings consented in 2021/2022 compared with 62 per cent in 2020/2021.
• Standalone houses accounted for 27 per cent of all dwellings consented in 2021/2022 compared with 36 per cent in 2020/2021.
• 5,552 dwellings were consented within 1,500m catchments of train stations on the Southern, Eastern, Western, and Onehunga Train Lines and the Northern Busway stations. This is 26 per cent of the total dwellings consented.
• 12,947 dwellings were issued with a Code of Compliance Certificate in 2021/2022.
• 607, 656 square metres of business floor space was consented in 2021/2022.
• Most business floor space consented was in the light industry zoned areas.

This is the fourth monitoring report on a 30-year strategy. Future monitoring and reporting will provide a more comprehensive understanding of ongoing trends and implementation of the Development Strategy.

Quality Compact approach

Auckland is taking a quality compact approach to growth and development. This means most growth will take place within the existing urban area. Some growth will occur in identified future urban areas and growth in rural areas will be limited.

In 2021/2022, the location of dwellings consented across Auckland indicates most growth is taking place within the existing urban area with a majority happening in brownfields. Some growth is occurring in identified future urban areas, and limited growth continues in rural areas. This pattern has been largely consistent for the last four years.

Consented dwellings

An approved dwelling consent represents an intention to build, not a completed dwelling.

The Development Strategy anticipates that up to 320,000 additional residential dwellings could be required over the next 30 years. This equates to over 10,000 dwellings a year.

In the fourth year of implementing the Development Strategy, 21,607 residential dwellings were consented in Auckland, an increase of 2,573 on the previous reporting year. In the past five years, over 81,000 dwellings have been consented in the Auckland region.

Dwellings consented in the Auckland region, by reporting year (1 July-30 June).

​Local boards

Henderson-Massey and Howick also had the highest number of dwellings consented in the previous reporting year.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki experienced the highest growth compared with the previous reporting year (13 per cent increase), whereas Waitematā experienced the greatest decrease compared with the previous reporting year with a 57 per cent decrease.

Dwelling typology

There is a growing trend towards more intensive dwelling typologies.

The number of townhouses etc. consented in 2021/2022 has increased 330 per cent compared with 2017/2018. In contrast, the number of apartments consented has varied. The number of houses consented in 2021/2022 has remained relatively similar to 2017/2018.

The proportion of each typology has also changed. The proportion of townhouses etc. has increased from 23 per cent of consents issued in 2017/2018 to 56 per cent in 2021/2022. In the same period, the proportion of houses has decreased from 48 per cent to 27 per cent of consents issued, and the proportion of apartments has decreased from 23 per cent to 13 per cent.

Dwellings consented by dwelling type (Auckland Region), 1 July 2021 - 30 June 2022

Consented dwelling map

​The map shows that the consenting activity is widespread across the urban area. Apartment consents with more than 60 units are mostly located around train stations.

There are also concentrations of apartments and townhouses located around areas with good public transport accessibility such as Northcote and Avondale.

Compared with the previous reporting year, there is a shift in consenting activity from the city centre to the outer suburbs within the existing urban area, in particular to the west and south. Established communities such as Te Atatū South, Papatoetoe and Manurewa also show higher concentrations of more intensive housing typologies occurring through redevelopment.

Consents for houses are distributed across the urban areas with concentrations at the edges of the existing urban area in new and growing communities such as Flat Bush and Ōrewa.

Get a copy of the consented dwelling map

Local boards consented by type

The dwelling types being consented vary considerably across all local boards reflecting their different characters.

For example, 83 per cent of dwellings consented in Waitemata local board area in the 2021/2022 year were more intensive housing types, including apartments and townhouses, compared with 25 percent in Franklin.

Dwellings consented by dwelling type, by local board, 1 July 2021 - 30 June 2022

Residential supply (Code of Compliance Certificates - CCCs)

A code compliance certificate (CCC) is issued for completed dwellings. A CCC is issued under section 95 of the Building Act 2004 and ensures building work carried out under an approved building consent complies with that building consent. Buildings are deemed suitable to occupy once a CCC has been issued.

There is no legal requirement to obtain a CCC, however, insurers, mortgage lenders and other parties are becoming stricter on those undertaking building work to ensure they obtain a CCC. This means CCCs are becoming a more reliable indicator of actual dwelling completions.

The time between a building consent being issued and a CCC being issued will vary depending on the scale and complexity of the building.

In the fourth year of implementing the Development Strategy, 12,947 dwellings were issued with a CCC.

This is a decrease from the 14,502 dwellings issued with a CCC the previous reporting year.

CCCs issued by local board area

Papakura, Upper Harbour and Howick local boards had the highest numbers of CCC's issued in 2020/2021, with over 1,100 CCCs each. These were closely followed by Rodney, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Hibiscus and Bays, and Henderson – Massey which had around 1,000 CCCs each.

Dwellings completed by local board area, 1 July 2021- 30 June 2022

Growth and development

The Development Strategy identifies where significant growth and development is anticipated to occur over the next 30 years.

The quality compact approach and multi-nodal model forms the foundation for growth across Auckland.

Most growth is anticipated within the existing urban area, with some growth in future urban areas and limited growth in rural areas.

Get a copy of the monitoring report for each growth area

Get a copy of the full Development Strategy Monitoring Report