Ratepayers rattled by rushed process for PC120

• By Phil Taylor, Eastern Times

Very quickly and at the end of a long and tough year economically, civically and socially, recently legislated Plan Change 120 to Auckland’s Unitary Plan is causing consternation across east Auckland, as PJ TAYLOR reports in a news commentary.

It’s a pity a Government minister wasn’t there to read the room, because the room – packed as it was – had an audience seriously concerned about what impact PC120 is going to have on them, their properties and communities.

It’s a shame a Government minister – in an east Auckland area served by two of the most senior ministers in Government as local MPs – wasn’t in attendance, because there was a lot of figurative finger-pointing towards the Government, which has imposed PC120 upon Auckland Council and Aucklanders.

It’s also unfortunate the architect of PC120, Housing Minister Chris Bishop, wasn’t in the house to gauge the public mood.

And the 450-plus crowd of studious residents and ratepayers wasn’t smiling as the council staged a PC120 information evening at St Colomba Church auditorium in Botany on Tuesday, where 360 chairs had been put out and more were called for to accommodate the large turnout.

• Since this article was first published on December 12, Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown has told the Times on December 13 he “was an apology at the meeting. Parliament was sitting under urgency. I had hoped to attend but also came down very sick”. A staff member from his electorate office attended on his behalf.

Council officers said it was the biggest audience they’ve had for PC120 information sessions they’ve staged across the super-city.

The meeting only came about after elected councillors for Howick, Bo Burns and Maurice Williamson, rallied council officers to hold one in the east after omitting it from the original schedule of meetings.

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki councillor Josephine Bartley also attended, as well as Howick Local Board members.

There are two (and probably more) strands to the PC120 issue playing out right now – the political, and the process.

Firstly, there is the rush of the process – the deadline for submissions from residents and ratepayers on PC120 is fast approaching, next Friday, December 19, which doesn’t give people much time to digest the complexities and its implications, especially if they were just getting up to speed with it on December 9.

Though, public submissions opened on November 3, four days after Bishop announced PC120 had been enacted, at the council’s earlier request to replace PC78.

This is all about the Government’s vision that Auckland has to make plans to accommodate two million rateable residential dwellings for the future, to cater for its expected population growth.

Council planning officers have been charged to take a look at zoning for all of Auckland in a very short timeframe to meet the Government’s deadlines, and the Times was told on Tuesday night that staff have been working day and night and weekends to come up with where they think two million more homes could potentially go in the future.

That’s an extremely difficult job, and it has been rushed which is not exactly very good public policy planning set down by Bishop as Housing Minister, for an issue that impacts all Aucklanders and those who’ll come here in the decades to come.

It’s all being rushed through at the end of a long hard and challenging year for many when most residents and ratepayers are striving to finish 2025 and have one eye on Christmas and the summer holidays.

But as Megan Tyler, the council’s policy, planning and governance director, who fronted the senior officers at Tuesday’s meeting said, “because we’ve proposed it [in draft plans], doesn’t mean it’ll ultimately be the final PC120. It’s not a done deal. It’s not perfect and it will change.”

She said the council “doesn’t agree with the two million” figure, but “it’s in legislation” and it’s referred to as “enabled capacity”.

It’s important that if people have views on PC120 one way or another, they should get a submission lodged by next Friday, was the message issued by all council elected members and officers at the meeting.

The political angle also is attendees were being encouraged, especially by Williamson and Burns, to make their thoughts known to their local MPs who are in the Government pushing PC120 – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (Botany), Health and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown (Pakuranga), Rima Nakhle (Takanini), and east Auckland List MPs, Nancy Lu and Parmjeet Parmar.

One community representative group with large membership, the Howick Residents and Ratepayers Association (HRRA), is due to meet with Brown today, December 12, about PC120.

At Tuesday’s meeting, HRRA reps Janet Dickson and Peter Bankers were handing out leaflets that said the association wants to ‘pause PC120 immediately’.

It also wants to: ‘Remove reliance on extreme climate modelling; Commission a fully independent scientific review; Release a complete, costed infrastructure and financial plan; Guarantee fair compensation for affected property owners; Conduct full, transparent public consultation across Auckland.’

The HRRA also argues there is a ‘lack of transparency and public engagement’.

‘PC120 is being pushed through a streamlined process despite its major, long-term impact across Auckland.

‘The documents released are highly technical, difficult to interpret, and not supported by public meetings, Q&A sessions, or accessible explanations.’

The HRRA is already talking to other residents and ratepayers’ associations across Auckland to form a united front in opposition to the Government enforced process for PC120’s introduction.

The council document officers were circulating at the meeting on December 9 states: ‘Auckland Council is proposing changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s rulebook for where new homes and businesses can be built.’

In days-gone-by language, the Unitary Plan is the council’s district plan.

‘These [PC120] changes – known as Proposed Plan Change 120 – Housing Intensification and Resilience or Plan Change 120 – respond to central government direction for more housing and allow the council to strengthen its natural hazard rules,’ the council document further explains.

‘They aim to better protect people and property from floods and other natural hazards and focus more new homes in safer, well-connected areas close to jobs, shops, services, and fast, frequent public transport.

‘This approach makes better use of existing infrastructure, such as the $5.5 billion City Rail Link and allows for more housing choice near town centres, and train and busway stations.

‘These are still proposed changes. We encourage Aucklanders to have their say before final decisions are made by making a submission on Plan Change 120.’

On Tuesday evening, maps had been prepared by officers showing Howick ward property zoning under the Unitary Plan, and how areas would look under PC120.

PC120 proposes that new residential properties will be able to be built as high as 10 to 15 storeys on and around major transport corridors across Auckland, such as on the Eastern Busway from Pakuranga to Botany.

And intensification in and around town centres such as Howick, Highland Park, Pakuranga and Botany could allow for residential buildings to be constructed to six storeys in height.

Rapid transit corridors have also been introduced into new mapping, and one suggestion that drew vocal opposition from attendees on Tuesday was for the routes of Litten and Sandspit Roads in Cockle Bay.

The council document continues: ‘Over the next 30 years, Auckland could see more apartments, terrace housing, and townhouses built near train and busway stations, frequent bus routes, workplaces, and town centres.

‘Aucklanders could have more housing choices in more locations with easier access to the services and facilities people use very day.

‘This may mean more transport choice, less congestion, and better use of existing infrastructure.

‘These changes will not happen overnight. Development usually happens gradually, over decades based on market demand and what property owners choose to do.

‘Even in areas allowing for apartments, there will still be a mix of housing types and building heights, reflecting Aucklanders’ different needs and choices,’ says the council PC120 explanation document.

On October 29, Bishop said: “By giving Auckland Council the option to withdraw PC78, we’ve returned decision-making to locals – Aucklanders will once again decide how and where housing growth happens in this important city for New Zealand’s future.

“Auckland Council has now formally withdrawn Plan PC78 and upon the council’s request, responsible Ministers have now issued formal direction to the council to enter the Streamlined Planning Process for PC120.

“As requested by Auckland Council, PC120 will proceed through a 20-month process – an increase from the 18 months initially signalled.

“Public submissions will be open from November 3 to December 19, followed by hearings in 2026 overseen by a panel with a minimum of eight and maximum of nine members,” Bishop said.

“Four members will be appointed by Ministers, with the remaining members to be appointed by the council.

“Ministers are working with the council on who the council will appoint as chair.

“As I have said many times, it’s important that Aucklanders have robust opportunities to participate in this important process,” said Bishop.

“The council itself has asked for a transparent process, and that’s exactly what we’re committed to delivering.

“Ministers have also issued a formal statement of expectations for PC120, which asks the hearings panel and council to consider whether PC120 provisions unduly frustrate development, to test the appropriate distribution of housing capacity, including greenfield development, and to look at whether all planned rapid transit stops have been identified, including the Northwest Busway.”

Disclaimer: Bo Burns is the owner of Times Media.