FAQs

The draft Future Development Strategy sets out the long-term vision for how and where Auckland should grow and what infrastructure will be needed to support that growth over the next 30 years.  

It looks at the big issues around Auckland’s future growth that we need to address as our population increases in the decades ahead, such as housing and business capacity, transport, employment, the environment, building resilience to natural hazards, and making the best use of infrastructure.  

The purpose of the Future Development Strategy is to set the vision for how we best use our land and to provide guidance for decisions on Auckland’s growth and development through plans such as the Auckland Unitary Plan (the city’s planning rulebook) and the council’s 10-year Budget.

Tāmaki Makaurau is anticipated to grow and change significantly over the next 30 years with the population expected to increase by 520,800 people.  

There have also been many changes in Auckland in the past five years.  The COVID pandemic, new government legislation directing more housing intensification in Auckland, the more frequent impacts of climate change, such as the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, and our need to cut in half our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

This changing context means we need to re-examine where and how best to accommodate future housing and business needs, determine where infrastructure is needed, and find ways to adapt to a changing climate and protect our natural environment as we grow and develop.  

Auckland Council is seeking feedback on our proposal to focus most of Auckland’s growth in existing urban areas where most Aucklanders live, work, and spend their leisure time, rather than allowing more growth in greenfield (undeveloped) land on the edges of the city.

This means investing in infrastructure and services in places where we will get the most benefits from the investment.

We’re also seeking feedback on our approach to focusing housing and businesses development near local centres where most people’s daily needs are easy to access by walking, cycling and public transport to give more people more options to reduce their transport emissions and travel costs. 

And lastly, we want to know if people support our approach for avoiding further growth in areas exposed to significant risks of environmental hazards and for prioritising nature-based infrastructure that is more resilient and responds to the impacts of climate change, such as rain gardens, swales and detention basins.

The population of the Auckland region is expected to grow by 30 percent to a total of 2,230,800 people over the next 30 years. This is based on medium growth projections from Statistics NZ and means Auckland would need to accommodate an additional 520,800 people and around 282,000 more jobs and 200,000 more dwellings.  

By the year 2053, it is expected that almost half of New Zealand's total population growth will be in the Auckland region.

It’s important to carefully manage Auckland’s growth to build on the many benefits and opportunities it holds for the future. This means making sure we have a plan for more homes in places where people want to live and closer to jobs, shops, recreation, and public transport, building our resilience to a changing climate and reducing emissions, and providing infrastructure in the right places at the right times.

Future urban land (greenfields) forms an important component of council’s overall strategy for Auckland’s growth and making sure people have housing choices available. We will continue to invest in greenfield areas currently under development to ensure they are successful and well-functioning. Some timing changes for when undeveloped greenfield land will become ready for development reflect the reality of our financial ability to provide large-scale infrastructure in these areas and their need to be connected to the wider network.

The proposed changes in the FDS include avoiding development in some greenfields where houses would be exposed to significant natural hazards and there is limited feasible options to manage these risks.  

These proposed changes are estimated to result in less than 10,000 fewer dwellings, this is in the context of a total dwelling capacity of around 2.3 million homes.  

The FDS identifies a number of other greenfield areas that need further investigation to better understand hazard risks, the relationship between existing and future land uses and the likely levels of vehicle trips and CO2 emissions that would be generated. This does not necessarily mean that these areas cannot be developed in the future, but the risk to people and property and likely CO2 emissions must be understood. Auckland Council is in the process of improving our data to support future decision making in these locations.  

It’s proposed that most of Auckland’s future growth in housing and business will be focused in the existing urban areas, near town centres, good public transport services and jobs, where most people’s daily needs are easy to access by walking, cycling and public transport. It also provides for growth on the periphery in new greenfield areas. 

The draft Future Development Strategy identifies priority areas for growth and infrastructure investment over the short to medium term (1-10 years). These include the Auckland Housing Programme priorities of Mt Roskill, Tamaki and Māngere, the city centre, Karangahape Road and Maungawhau (with a focus on the areas surrounding the future City Rail Link stations), Westgate, and parts of the Drury-Ōpaheke area.  

What role does the Future Development Strategy have alongside other council strategies and plans? 

The Auckland Plan 2050 is our overarching plan. It recognises the biggest challenges facing Auckland and what outcomes we want to achieve to address these issues and create a thriving future for Tāmaki Makaurau. 

The Future Development Strategy sits within the Auckland Plan and provides the high-level vision for how and where Auckland will accommodate growth and development over the next 30 years, and where investment in infrastructure is needed.  

The Auckland Unitary Plan is the city’s planning rulebook for how we use our natural and physical resources, including land. It sets the rules for what can be built and where, such as different types of housing.

The Infrastructure Strategy sits within our 10-year Budget (or Long-term Plan) and supports good decision-making about investments in new and existing infrastructure.

Once the Future Development Strategy is adopted, a detailed implementation plan will be created. This plan will outline the actions needed to achieve the strategy's vision and goals. It may involve making changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan, deciding on investments in the council's 10-year Budget, or conducting further research and advocacy.

The draft Future Development Strategy proposes amending the timeframes for when some greenfield (undeveloped) land may be ready for urban development in the future. This introduces a triggers-based approach to development readiness, phasing it in over 30 years or longer, where development happens when all the required bulk infrastructure can be provided to ensure safe, sustainable communities. 

In some other areas, it also recommends removing parts of greenfield land previously earmarked for future urban development where development would be most constrained. These include some greenfield areas on the edges of our existing urban areas, such as:  

• Hatfields Beach 
• Parts of Kumeū-Huapai-Riverhead 
• Takaanini 
• Parts of Drury-Ōpaheke 

There are several reasons for delaying the urban development of some greenfield (undeveloped) land or for removing land from future urbanisation (called Future Urban Zones). 

There are significant challenges in funding infrastructure investment to support future growth and the need to better align development readiness with the ability to fund critical infrastructure. 

Additionally, some of these areas are prone to significant natural hazard risks, which will only increase with climate change. They may also have poor access for people to employment and services increasing the need to use private vehicles to get around leading to higher levels of congestion and emissions. 

The Resource Management Act (RMA) allows anyone to seek changes to a council’s plans through private plan change applications. These will always be challenging for areas earmarked for future urban development (Future Urban Zone) if they are in line with the planned timing and availability of infrastructure. 

While the council has limited options to address these plan changes, the draft Future Development Strategy proposes that priority areas for investment should be strictly followed. Once confirmed through the council’s next 10-year Budget 2024-34, funded programmes should be adhered to. 

To support the implementation of the draft Future Development Strategy, changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan will be made to strengthen the statutory decision-making framework for private plan changes in future urban areas.

A large part of Drury is already being developed and there is also significant infrastructure being planned through central government.  To achieve the best outcomes for this area, we need to ensure it will have the right infrastructure to support the communities that will live there over the next 30 years.

Creating a 30-year plan is challenging due to the uncertainty around future changes in policy direction from central government, however, we must work within current legislative requirements, (including the MDRS) and should these requirements change, we will respond accordingly. 

As a result of our research and expertise, we believe striking a balance between growing up and out is best for Auckland, where most future growth occurs in existing urban areas while continuing to plan for growth in greenfield areas staged over time to support essential infrastructure investment. 

This balance enables easier access for people to jobs, education, services, and existing infrastructure such as public transport, with more options to spend less time in cars, reducing emissions and transport costs, while better protecting our productive soils and natural environments. 

No - the Future Development Strategy and Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth (an alliance between Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency) seek to provide good outcomes for the way Auckland grows and develops. 

 The Future Development Strategy looks at the strategic level providing a basis for planning region-wide over the next 30 years. The Future Development Strategy addresses the need to provide capacity for growth and align land use and infrastructure provision. It also responds to new information and challenges such as natural hazards and responding to climate change impacts. Some future urban areas may not be suitable for urban development.

 Te Tupu Ngātahi is responsible for identifying and protecting land needed for Auckland’s future transport connections before new homes and communities are built. This is achieved through a designation / Notice of Requirement process.

It is important to thoroughly investigate future urban areas so that risks of developing in these areas are minimised for future communities. The weather events this year have highlighted the risks when hazards are not sufficiently accounted for.

If the draft Future Development Strategy is adopted by the Council, further investigation signalled in future urban areas will form part of implementing the Future Development Strategy.

 Current zonings would apply during any investigation. In the event some future urban areas are found to be unsuitable for development, any rezonings would need to be through a public plan change process.

 Depending on the outcome, Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi may review the need for the designations.

 The Future Development Strategy is a draft and is open for public consultation from 6 June – 31 July. The council wants feedback from the community on the document.

If the draft Future Development Strategy is adopted by the council, removing signalled future urban areas from urban development will form part of implementing the Future Development Strategy.

 This would follow a process to rezone the land and would include a public plan change process.

 Depending on the outcome, Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi may review the need for the designations.

 The Future Development Strategy is a draft and is open for public consultation from 6 June – 31 July. The council wants feedback from the community on the document.  

If the need to investigate some future urban areas is confirmed as part of an adopted Future Development Strategy, then this work would be included as part of the implementation plan. The exact process and detail around the timing for this is unclear at this stage.

 However, it is anticipated that the work would include a more detailed assessment of the natural hazards (e.g., flooding) combined with consideration of issues such as emissions and the provision of bulk infrastructure.

If the Future Development Strategy is adopted, then infrastructure provision will be in accordance with the timing indicated.

The Future Development Strategy is a draft only and is open for public consultation from 6 June – 31 July. The council wants to get feedback from the community on the document.

Following public consultation, the council will consider all submissions received and the draft strategy, with any amendments, will be considered by the council for adoption in September.

Following the adoption of the Future Development Strategy an implementation plan will be developed for actions in the strategy, such as investigation of specific future urban areas.

For areas that remain appropriate for urban development, but with a change in timing for development, infrastructure will be provided in accordance with the timing indicated.

If research confirms that there are changes needed to future urban areas, this may involve a process to rezone the land and would include a public plan change process.