July 28, 2016

Auckland Future Supports Independent Hearings Panel on Unitary Plan

Auckland Future, the centre right ticket contesting the Auckland Council elections, has endorsed the recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) on Auckland’s Unitary Plan and is urging Council to support the recommendations.

Auckland Future candidate and chair of Upper Harbour Local Board, Lisa Whyte, said the recommendations were consistent with Auckland Future’s housing and transport policies which highlight the need for intensification of housing around public transport routes and main corridors and greater flexibility in the city’s rural/urban boundary.

“This corridors strategy is essential to the success of public transport,” she said. “We have consistently argued that Auckland has to grow up and out and strongly support today’s IHP report in this regard.”

“Auckland Future urges the Council to demonstrate real leadership and support the thrust of the IHP recommendations in the interests of the current and future generation of Aucklanders. There is no room for individual grandstanding when there is so much at stake for the city and the New Zealand economy as a whole.”

She said Auckland Future believes housing affordability can only be addressed by increasing supply and this will require Council increasing the available land area with zoning for a range of dwelling sizes. By doubling the feasible residential capacity of the current Unitary Plan and significantly increasing land available for development we will meet the projected demand for an additional 400,000 dwellings by 2041, she said.

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