Viv Beck says the new housing rules Auckland Council has been forced to accept this month are the wrong solution to get more affordable housing in Auckland and will damage Auckland’s liveability.
 

“Even with the exemptions council has proposed, Auckland will lose more of its precious character, and the core funding and infrastructure shortfalls impacting Auckland are not addressed. Improvements that can be made to council’s own performance have also been ignored.”
 

As mayor, she will take three immediate steps to respond to the government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development and the new medium density residential standards.
 

“I will advance plans for Auckland to draw down on new infrastructure funding and financing tools that take the cost off Auckland Council’s balance sheet and will allow new infrastructure to get built more quickly.”
 

“I will explore what additional changes are possible to Auckland’s Unitary Plan to protect more of Auckland’s diminishing character and heritage including the use of Neighbourhood Plans used in Brisbane and England.”
 

“I will require new performance targets for council’s consents unit and new regular public reporting. I will propose council contracts-out its consenting, as happened in Christchurch following the earthquakes, if the Auckland Council can’t boost its performance.”
 

The planning changes now go to an independent panel for a year-long review. Viv Beck will not accept any recommendations from the panel that compromise Auckland’s liveability, damage the region’s character and fail to address the infrastructure deficit.
 

“I am greatly concerned that Council expects 25% of Auckland’s character homes could be lost by these changes. Yet infrastructure funding for housing, a key problem holding back more house building, is not addressed by these changes.
 

“Despite record consent numbers, developers, businesses and residents tell me council bottlenecks make it slower and more expensive than it should be to get houses built.”
 

Aucklanders have until 29 September to tell council and the government what they think of these changes. The next council is expected to make decisions on the panel’s recommendations in March 2024.
 

“If elected, I won’t be waiting for the panel to report and will be taking action to get more affordable housing built more quickly.”
 

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