[Joint statement with Auckland Mayor Len Brown]
Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister of Housing

12 September 2014 Media Statement
New Auckland Special Housing Areas to deliver 8000 more homes

A fourth tranche of 17 Special Housing Areas (SHAs) that would yield more than 8000 additional new homes across Auckland was today announced by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

“The Auckland Housing Accord was agreed 11 months ago and since then, it has facilitated thousands more sections to be developed and thousands more homes to be built. The latest tranche brings the total number of Special Housing Areas in Auckland to 80, with a potential yield of up to 41,500 homes. This is the momentum and scale we need to improve housing affordability and supply in our largest city,” Dr Smith says.

The Auckland Housing Accord, which was agreed in October 2013 by Dr Smith and Mr Brown, provides for the creation of SHAs by Auckland Council with the approval of the Government. Qualifying developments in these areas can be streamlined and fast-tracked. The first tranche of SHAs was announced at the time the Accord was agreed and provided for 6000 homes across 11 Special Housing Areas. The second tranche in December last year provided for a further 11 Areas and 9500 homes, and the third tranche in May this year provided 41 Areas and 18,000 homes.

“The Special Housing Areas are making a real difference to the number of homes developers are building and planning to build at a range of different price points,” Mr Brown says.

“The council is seeing an exciting pipeline of construction activity which will result in quality residential neighbourhoods in 2015 and beyond. The Auckland Housing Accord is really starting to have a positive effect on the provision of new homes in Auckland, with almost 81,000 new dwellings and sections in the pipeline throughout Auckland over the next 12 years.”

“The successful effect of the Housing Accord is obvious in the latest building consent figures, which show 7119 consents were issued in Auckland in the year to July. This represents an annual rate of growth of 30 per cent – the highest in a decade,” Dr Smith says.

“The Government’s KiwiSaver HomeStart initiative complements the Special Housing Areas by providing an incentive for builders to construct more homes in an affordable range. The scheme provides $20,000 grants for first home buyers who have been in KiwiSaver for five years to purchase homes under $550,000 and provides Welcome Home Loans that enables purchases with a 10 per cent deposit.”

The 17 new SHAs have been adopted by Auckland Council but are subject to formal approval by Cabinet and a recommendation to the Governor-General. It is expected the Order in Council process will be completed to enable resource and building consents for developments to be advanced later this year.

More information including maps of the 80 SHAs is available at:
www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/ratesbuildingproperty/housingsupply/Pages/specialhousingareas.aspx

Attachments:
1. Map: Fourth tranche of Auckland Special Housing Areas
2. Map: All Auckland Special Housing Areas
Map_All_Auckland_Special_Housing_Areas.pdf
Map_Fourth_tranche_of_Auckland_Special_Housing_Areas.pdf

Editor’s notes:
Photographs of the new homes in the Waimahia development at the Weymouth Special Housing Area are available on request.

The locations for the latest set of Special Housing Areas are as follows (potential yield of new homes in brackets):

1. Akoranga Drive, Northcote (31)
2. Barrack Road, Mt Wellington (40)
3. Bellfield Road, Papakura (265-365)
4. Bunnythorpe Road, Papakura (10)
5. Coates Ave, Orakei (14)
6. East Coast Road, Pine Hill (39)
7. Enfield Street, Mount Eden (92)
8. Cnr Great North Road and Walsall Street, Avondale (36)
9. Harbourside Drive, Hingaia (200-300)
10. Mokoia Road, Birkenhead (31)
11. Morrin Street, Ellerslie (138)
12. Racecourse Parade, Avondale (15-80)
13. Redhills (Fred Taylor Drive) – Stage 1 (3392-4207)
14. St Lukes Road, Mount Albert (107)
15. Takapuna strategic area (350)
16. Tamaki regeneration area (1200-1500)
17. West Hoe Heights, Orewa (400-800)

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