Central government has moved again on Auckland’s housing rules, introducing legislation on 31 March to lower the minimum theoretical housing capacity required in Plan Change 120 to 1.4 million. Auckland Council says the change will prompt further amendments to the plan.

Mayor Wayne Brown said the move gives the city more room to prioritise growth where infrastructure already exists and to scale back development in areas exposed to natural hazards. He pointed to intensification along major transport corridors and around the City Rail Link as the focus, and said the shift would help deliver a mix of housing that is actually affordable.

Policy, Planning and Development Committee chair Richard Hills said where homes are built will still be guided by demand, and noted the National Policy Statement on Urban Development continues to indicate a theoretical capacity of around 1.6 million. Council’s message is that Plan Change 120 will concentrate growth near jobs, services and public transport while tightening controls in places at risk from flooding, landslides, coastal erosion and coastal inundation. The plan will continue through submissions and an independent hearings process.

Plan Change 120 responds to government housing policy by enabling taller buildings around five Western Line stations — Maungawhau, Kingsland, Morningside, Baldwin Avenue and Mt Albert — and by strengthening rules to make new development more resilient to natural hazards. It had been required to match the capacity of its predecessor, Plan Change 78; council says that requirement has now been eased. The council emphasises the plan sets what could be built under the rules; the market determines what is actually delivered.

General manager of Policy, Planning and Governance Megan Tyler said all submissions already made on Plan Change 120 will remain valid under the new settings, and there will be another opportunity for Aucklanders to have their say on the further changes. She said the council is bound by central government direction but will keep the public updated as details come through.