Media Release
15 February 2016
Local politicians politicising of Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan appalling
Property Council is appalled with Auckland councillors who have withdrawn their support to rezone
Auckland suburbs with the capacity for more housing and apartments.
Auckland Branch President Phil Eaton says soaring house prices are creating systemic social injustice,
inequity and major economic risk.
“Let’s be absolutely clear about this. The councillors who have withdrawn their support to rezone
and upzone suburbs to allow for more houses have done so at the expense of Aucklanders, because
they want to come back after the local elections.
“Now, Baby Boomers have essentially locked an entire generation out of their own homes. Young
people and families will never be able to work and live in Auckland, and ‘Generation Rent’ is the
legacy these councillors will leave behind.
The Auckland Plan sets out a 400,000 target over the next 30 years. Currently, there is a shortage of
between 20,000-30,000 houses, and 13,000 news dwellings every year over this period. The current
version of the PAUP only allows for about 95,000 of the required 400,000.
“We have always supported the Auckland Plan, which brought the vision. But a lack of leadership is
rendering this Plan redundant as from the beginning, we raised concerns that the PAUP did not
supports its targets and now councillors are not either.
“Recent detailed analysis by independent experts demonstrated the PAUP falling short of providing
adequate supply of new dwellings and likely to only yield less than 30%. This is a stark shortfall that
will leave us with continued house price escalation.
“We desperately need to open up supply. The market tells us we are not building what customers
want. We need a wider range of housing choices to suit the changing demographic profile of
Auckland over the next 15-20 years, including smaller homes in existing areas for both older and
younger people.
“Local politicians must ditch their “Not in My Election Year” mentality and do what is right by all
Aucklanders, not just some.”
Scaremongering by local politicians has residents believing their suburbs will be covered in high-rise
apartments, when realistically less than 6% of suburbs will have apartments with more than three
storeys: up just 1% from the previous version of the PAUP.
“We need to fit a city the size of Wellington into Auckland over the next 15 years. While the recent
process of up-zoning within the PAUP is flawed, its intent is right. But we need bolder and braver
decisions to solve what is now an intergenerational legacy issue.”
END.
Media Contact
Golnaz Bassam-Tabar
Senior Advocacy and Communications Advisor
(09) 300 9585
021 252 7316
golnaz@propertynz.co.nz
About Property Council New Zealand
Property Council is a member-led, not-for-profit organisation offering a collective voice for the
commercial property industry. Our members include owners, investors, managers, and developers
of office, retail, industrial and residential properties, central and local government agencies and
other property professionals. Our branches throughout the country represent some of the largest
commercial property portfolios in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and the
South Island and Otago region, the value of which exceeds billions. We have an interest in all
aspects of the built environment, and promote sound policies and requirements that benefit New
Zealand as a whole.