2 June, 2016

Auckland says NPS could be useful tool

Auckland’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor believe the proposals contained in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (NPS) will provide a useful tool in measuring and meeting demand for land for both housing and business.

Mayor Len Brown and Cr Penny Hulse say Auckland Council’s planning and legal teams will now look closely at the document and the council will be developing a submission. However, at first glance, they say there is nothing is inconsistent with the work Auckland Council has been doing through its Future Urban Land Use Strategy and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.

Cr Hulse says tools Auckland Council had developed, such as residential capacity modelling and the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy are reflected in the NPS. She said that while she's confident that the UP will address any concerns around future land supply that adequate funding for infrastructure still remains a critical issue for Auckland.

Len Brown notes that the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, which is currently before the Independent Hearings Panel, already includes proposals to open up 11,000 hectares of land (that's about one and a half times the size of Hamilton) outside the current MUL to cater for growth over the next 30 years, with the potential to build 110,000 new homes.

Submissions on the NPS close on 15 July.

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