Submissions open on Auckland’s future housing plan
Aucklanders can now have their say on proposed changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s planning rulebook for where and how new homes and businesses can be built.
The proposed changes, known as Plan Change 120: Housing Intensification and Resilience, aim to better protect people and property from floods and other natural hazards, while meeting central government direction to enable more housing.
Submissions are now open on Proposed Plan Change 120 until 19 December 2025.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says Proposed Plan Change 120 will mean Aucklanders can make the most of game-changing transport infrastructure.
"We will soon have the City Rail Link and now have some major busways upgraded so it makes sense to build more intensively in these areas, and where we have invested significantly in other infrastructure, we must make the most of that.
"This is important. This will help shape how we live and grow in Auckland for the next 30-50 years. We have to make the move from the world's biggest suburb to an international city."
Megan Tyler, Director Policy, Planning and Governance, says this is an important opportunity for Aucklanders to shape how the city grows in the future.
“These are still proposed changes. We encourage Aucklanders to look at what’s being proposed and have their say by making a submission before final decisions are made.
“Whether they support the changes, have concerns, or want to suggest alternatives, their views are an essential part of the process.
“Aucklanders have been clear they want stronger rules for building in high-risk flood areas. Plan Change 120 delivers on that. It allows the council to better protect people and property from flooding and other hazards, and to make homes and buildings more resilient for the future,” she says.
Plan Change 120 introduces tougher consenting rules for building in areas impacted by flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and coastal inundation. In the worst affected areas, a restrictive residential zone is proposed to reduce risks to people and property.
Central government has also given strong direction to enable significantly more housing capacity across Auckland, which the council must meet by law.
These government directions also require taller buildings around key train stations to support the investment made in the City Rail Link, and to enable more housing within walking distances of the city centre, larger town centres and rapid transit.
“We’ve met the government’s requirement for significantly more housing capacity by focusing more housing choices near jobs, shops, and everyday services, where housing demand and public transport access are highest,” says Megan Tyler.
“This includes near train stations that will benefit from the City Rail Link bringing more fast, frequent services, stops on rapid busways and along some frequent bus routes.
“This will help more people have access to existing transport infrastructure that all Aucklanders have paid for – helping to get the best return from the public’s investment.”
Submissions on Plan Change 120 close 5pm, Friday 19 December 2025. Anyone can make a submission.
To learn more about the proposed changes, visit the AK Have Your Say website.
All submissions will be considered by an independent panel of experts that is likely to include planning, law, urban design, heritage, landscape architecture, and Tikanga Māori representation.
The panel will hold hearings and make recommendations to the council on the proposed changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan. Final decisions are expected to be made by the council around mid-2027.
Why are these changes happening
Auckland’s former planning rules, known as Plan Change 78, were changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan directed by the previous government. While it allowed for significantly more housing, it prevented the council from introducing stronger rules to limit buildings in areas at risk of flooding and other hazards.
It also included blanket rules that enabled three-storey homes across almost all residential areas in Auckland, including places with limited access to public transport, far from jobs, shops and everyday services.
Auckland Council has been advocating for law changes to strengthen planning rules in areas at high risk from hazards like flooding, since immediately after the 2023 floods.
In August 2025, new legislation gave Auckland the ability to withdraw Plan Change 78 and replace it with Plan Change 120. This gave the council two choices – move to Plan Change 120 or continue with Plan Change 78. It did not have the option to return to the original Auckland Unitary Plan.
The council chose to progress with Plan Change 120. This introduces stronger rules for building in areas at high-risk from flooding, coastal erosion, and inundation and responds to central government direction for more housing by focusing it around public transport hubs and town centres.
What’s proposed for changes to Auckland’s planning rules?
Proposed Plan Change 120: Housing Intensification and Resilience:
stronger new rules to make homes and buildings more resilient and to reduce or stop new development in areas at high-risk from flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and coastal inundation.
stronger powers for the council to decide whether development can go ahead in areas affected by natural hazards – including what and how much development is appropriate.
meet central government direction to enable significantly more housing capacity.
meet central government direction to enable increased building heights around five key Western Line train stations – 15 storeys at Maungawhau, Kingsland and Morningside; and 10 storeys around Baldwin Avenue and Mt Albert stations.
meet central government direction to enable at least six storey buildings within walking distances of the city centre (where the council proposes a walking distance of roughly 15 minutes), large metropolitan centres, and rapid transit stops like train or busway stations (where the council proposes a walking distance of roughly 10 minutes).
To learn more about the proposed changes, visit the AK Have Your Say website.
