Auckland Council plans to open up consultation on its controversial Plan Change 78, a move that would drive more intensification across the city – in some areas as high as 15-storeys!
PC78 was halted in 2023 following the Auckland floods, but has now been revived in a bid to intensify the Super City and build 2 million homes, as per the Government's directive.
Low-rise neighbourhoods could be transformed into zones dominated by high-rise towers and even skyscrapers, without the infrastructure to support them! This would mean more congestion and more pressure on public services.
Heritage areas are also under threat. Although Auckland Council, with strong public input, had already defined Special Character Areas in the 2016 Unitary Plan - and despite intensification already exceeding expectations - the Act required Council to review these areas. Now, without any legal obligation, Council is proposing to strip up to a third of homes in Special Character Areas of their protection. This would mean their destruction.
If PC78 goes ahead, it is likely that developers would in these areas to the maximum height and bulk with bare minimum design standards. The character of Auckland would be lost forever.
