Auckland Housing Accord momentum continues
The supply of new sections and houses under the Auckland Housing Accord is continuing to grow, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Mayor Len Brown said on 6 April in releasing the latest monitoring report and the tenth set of Special Housing Areas (SHAs).
“This latest report shows that we are on target to achieve the 39,000 new houses and sections over three years. We have achieved 27,708 as compared to a target at this time of 26,250,” Dr Smith said.
"We are seeing the longest and strongest growth period in Auckland housing averaging 26.5 per cent per year since the Accord was signed.
"We now have an all-time record investment of $3.4 billion in residential housing in the latest annual data to February. We need to maintain this positive momentum and that is why we are announcing a further tenth tranche of Special Housing Areas," Dr Smith said.
Ahead of goal
“The 3902 dwellings consented and new sections created in the first three months of the Accord’s third year brings the total to 27,708 – 1458 ahead of where we aimed to be at this point."
"This is positive news and demonstrates the successful collaboration between the Government and Auckland Council to free up more land faster and boost the city’s housing supply," Dr Smith said.
“We achieved 123 per cent of the target in Year One and 98 per cent of the target in Year Two. The third year target of 17,000 is ambitious, but it was always designed to stretch us. Our focus will be on doing everything we can to ensure the momentum we have been seeing so far continues,” Mr Brown said.
Fast-tracking consents
The Auckland Housing Accord, agreed between the government and Auckland Council in October 2013, provides for the speeding up of resource and building consenting and for the creation of SHAs by the council with the approval of government.
The accord set a target of 39,000 new sections and dwelling consented over three years – with 9000 in Year One, 13,000 in Year Two and 17,000 in Year Three.
The monitoring report, produced jointly by Auckland Council and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), covers the three months from October 2015 to December 2015.
Increase in new sections
“The most encouraging aspect of this latest report is the surge in the number of new sections now flowing from Special Housing Areas," Dr Smith said.
"These numbers averaged 52 per month in the first two years of the accord, but are now averaging 290 per month.
"This sudden increase in the last quarter reflects the pipeline coming on-stream, from approval of a Special Housing Area, to getting the structure plans in place and the infrastructure built, to creating a new section."
"A key purpose of the accord was freeing up the supply of land and it is now making a material difference to section supply in Auckland." - Dr Nick Smith
36 new SHAs
The minister and mayor also announced 36 new SHAs and six extensions to existing SHAs as part of the last group of SHAs established under the Accord.
“Auckland is growing very fast – by 819 new residents each week – yet we have risen to the challenge in a remarkably short space of time,” Mr Brown says.
“While we obviously still need more homes built, this tenth tranche of SHAs brings the total in Auckland to 154, with a potential yield of approximately 56,000 new homes across Auckland.
“These are impressive figures that have only been made possible thanks to the joint effort from central and local government.”
“It is important that we keep our foot on the accelerator. The next steps in the government’s programme include advancing new housing on Crown-owned land in Auckland, supporting the council in the completion of the new Auckland Unitary Plan, consulting on a new Urban Development National Policy Statement, and reform of the Resource Management Act,” Dr Smith concluded.
Read more about the Auckland Housing Accord.