Going For Growth Around The City Rail Link
Minister for RMA Reform
Minister of Housing
Hon Simeon Brown
Minister for Auckland
Wayne Brown
Mayor of Auckland
The Government will require Auckland to allow even greater housing and development around City Rail Link stations, ensuring that Auckland takes economic advantage of this transformational investment in the city, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say.
'CRL is a massive multi-billion dollar investment for the Government and Auckland Council. It's important that we get 'bang for buck' by maximising the opportunities for economic growth and increased productivity that the CRL will bring when it opens next year,' Minister Bishop says.
'Recently, we announced that Auckland Council and the Government had reached agreement to free up more land for housing, particularly around stations that will benefit from the CRL investment.
'The Resource Management (Consenting and Other Matters) Amendment Bill currently requires Auckland to allow for greater density around the key stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland, and Morningside.
'The Bill currently provides that Auckland Council must enable within a walkable distance from these stations heights and densities reflective of the higher demand for housing and business in these areas, and at a minimum, no less than six storeys.
'The Government has decided that these requirements, while a step forward, don't go far enough. The Government will therefore move an amendment to the Bill at the Committee of the Whole House stage, which will do the following:
Extend the requirement to enable heights and densities reflective of the demand for housing and business to two additional stations: Mt Albert and Baldwin Avenue.
Require upzoning allowing buildings of at least 15 storeys high around the stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland, and Morningside.
Require upzoning allowing buildings of at least 10 storeys high around Mt Albert and Baldwin Avenue stations.
'Both Mt Albert and Baldwin stations are ripe for development, sitting close to Unitec's campus and Mt Albert's popular shops and cafes. Increasing development capacity in the area will allow for more commuters and more students to live close to the stations, adding vibrance to these suburbs.
'The Government is determined to fix our housing crisis and a key step toward that is unlocking housing capacity in Auckland. The best place to start is by building housing around high quality public transport.'
'The City Rail Link is a game-changing investment in the future of Auckland. It will unlock significant economic opportunity, but only if we have a planning system to allow businesses and residents to take advantage of it,' Minister Brown says.
'City Rail Link is a more than $5 billion investment in Auckland's continued growth. Enabling greater housing intensification along this corridor will help us maximise the benefits of this investment and provide more homes in a city geared up for growth.'
"Once this law is passed, we can get on with intensification. We've now fixed the city centre and rapid transport corridors, and I look forward to working with the government to make sure we deliver growth in the right places for the rest of the region,' Mayor Brown says.
'The Resource Management (Consenting and Other Matters) Amendment Bill allows Auckland Council to withdraw its intensification plan change, PC78, with a requirement to notify a new plan change by 10 October this year. The upzoning we're announcing today will be incorporated into that new plan change,' Minister Bishop says.
'We thank Auckland Council, and particularly Mayor Brown and Councillor Richard Hills, for their continued sensible and collaborative approach.
'We look forward to seeing Auckland take its place in the world as a vibrant, productive centre for innovation and opportunity, where people actively want to live and work.'
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