This is the first monitoring report on the Auckland Plan 2050 Development Strategy. This report monitors building consents issued for residential dwellings across Auckland, as well as business floor space and covers the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
As this is the first monitoring report, and the Development Strategy covers a 30-year timeframe, it is too early to definitively indicate if we are achieving our quality compact approach to growth and development.
The Development Strategy sets out how Auckland will grow and change over the next 30 years to become a place that Aucklanders love and are proud of. Auckland has taken a quality compact approach to growth and development. This approach means future development will be focused in the existing urban area and in future urban areas within Auckland’s urban footprint. Expansion into rural areas will be limited.
Much of growth in the existing urban area will be focused within Nodes and Development Areas.
The existing urban area is the area of Auckland with live urban zoning at 2017, including the rural towns (and excluding live zoned future urban areas).
Nodes are major growth areas critical to accommodating development across Auckland. These areas are based around a significant centre and service large catchments. They encompass surrounding employment and high-density residential areas.
Development Areas are urban areas where significant growth is expected in jobs and housing over the next 30 years. These areas were identified based on factors such as ability to accommodate growth and committed projects. Planning and investment will be targeted when growth at scale occurs.
The Remaining existing urban area includes the rest of the existing urban area not included in a Node or Development Area.
Auckland is changing: we’re now moving up instead of just out: The number and location of dwelling consents issued in 2018/2019 broadly follows the implementation of the quality compact approach, and the multi-nodal model, in the Development Strategy.
The desire for a quality, compact future Auckland is becoming reality as illustrated by the record dwelling consents for more intensive housing including apartments, townhouses, flats and units.
Some key findings from this monitoring report are:
- 66,839 dwellings were consented in Auckland between 2012/2013 and 2018/2019
- 14,032 new dwellings were consented in 2018/2019.
- 83 per cent were issued in the existing urban area
- 8 per cent were issued in Nodes in the 2018/2019 financial year (some Nodes include areas outside the existing urban area) - 30 per cent were issued in Development Areas
- 46 per cent were issued in the remaining existing urban area
- 10 per cent were issued in the future urban area
- 7 per cent were issued in the rural area
• The number of consents issued for apartments and townhouses etc. are increasing at a faster rate than consents for standalone houses.
- Around 76 per cent of consents issued in Nodes, and 68 per cent in Development Areas, were for apartments or townhouses etc.
• Over 70 per cent of Code of Compliance Certificates were issued for dwellings in the existing urban area. This means dwellings were ready to be occupied.
• Nearly 900,000 square metres (sqm) of business floor space was consented in 2018/2019.
- Business floor space consented in heavy industry, light industry and the City Centre zones made up 58 per cent of all floor space consented
- Business floor space consented in the City Centre and Manukau Nodes made up 84 per cent of all floor space consented in Nodes.
As this is the first monitoring report for the 30-year strategy, future monitoring and reporting will provide a more comprehensive understanding of ongoing trends and successful implementation of the Development Strategy.
Consented dwellings
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. Dwelling consents represent an intention to build, not a completed dwelling.
In the first year of implementing the Development Strategy, 14,032 new residential dwellings were consented in Auckland.
This is almost 1,700 more than the previous year and more than the 2012/2013 and 2013/14 years, combined. Around 61 per cent more dwelling consented were issued in 2018/2019 compared to 2012/2013.
| 2012/2013 | 5,501 |
| 2013/2014 | 7,078 |
| 2014/2015 | 8,365 |
| 2015/2016 | 9,373 |
| 2016/2017 | 10,121 |
| 2017/2018 | 12,369 |
| 2018/2019 | 14,032 |
| Total | 66,839 |
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 limited growth will take place in rural areas.
In 2018/19, the number of dwelling consents issued across Auckland indicates that growth is following the quality compact approach.
Most growth is taking place in the existing urban area, some growth is occurring in identified future urban areas, and growth in rural areas has been limited.
