A very simple guide to the unitary plan
Everyone has questions about the Auckland Unitary Plan. Here are a few answers.
What is the Auckland Unitary Plan?
It’s going to be the planning rulebook for all of Auckland.
Ok. What does that mean?
It’ll be the set of rules that covers pretty much everything about what, where and how you can build in Auckland. Things like:
- how to achieve a higher-quality city that provides more choices around how and where we live
- what you can do in rural areas and the marine environment
- what you can build and where.
You mean we don’t already have rules for that?
We have a Regional Policy Statement and 13 different district and regional plans.
What’s wrong with those then?
Many of them were developed back when Auckland was eight separate councils – each with a different direction and a different plan. Some of them are more than 10 years out of date.
And the region is much more connected than it used to be. Changes to one part of the city have effects on the others.
For example, you can’t build houses in one area without thinking about how people are going to commute to and from it, or how water is going to be supplied – and the effect that those decisions are going to have on other parts of the city.
So it’s about consistency?
Correct. And more importantly, it’s about planning for the future growth of Auckland. The city is growing a lot faster than was predicted until recently, and the older plans don’t take that into account.
So what’s going to change?
Nothing immediately. But, over time, Auckland is going to grow. It’show we grow that the unitary plan deals with.
How close are we to finalising the unitary plan?
Pretty close. In the next couple of weeks, the council will be given recommendations on the plan from the Independent Hearings Panel, which has been holding hearings, reviewing 13,364 submissions and over 10,000 pieces of evidence for almost two years on the proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.
The council then has to decide to accept or reject their recommendations. The decisions will be publicly notified on 19 August.
How can I find out more?
More detailed information on the unitary plan process is available, and we'll be updating OurAuckland throughout the week.
View more detailed information about the Auckland Unitary Plan