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Auckland’s housing rules are about to change again.
With the Government formally approving a streamlined planning process for Auckland Council’s new housing plan, named Plan Change 120 (PC120), most residents are asking the same thing: what does this actually mean?
Why did PC78 need to change?
PC78 was created under the previous Government and required Auckland Council to allow widespread intensification, including blanket three-storey housing across almost the entire urban area.
But there was a catch: PC78 didn’t allow the council to strengthen rules to protect homes from flooding, coastal erosion or other hazards.
After the 2023 Auckland floods, it became obvious the city needed safer planning rules. Some places simply shouldn’t have more housing on them.
The council asked Parliament for the ability to withdraw PC78 and in August this year the Government changed the law to allow exactly that.
What is PC120?
PC120 is the replacement plan change. It allows the council to introduce stronger hazard protections while still meeting Government requirements for housing supply.
In simple terms, PC120 must:
- Provide at least the same total housing capacity as PC78 (about two million potential homes over decades – a capacity figure, not a target).
- Enable greater height and density around key train stations supported by the City Rail Link (such as Maungawhau, Kingsland and Morningside).
- Give effect to national intensification rules under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development.
PC120 also lets the council steer housing away from high-risk areas and into safer, well-connected neighbourhoods near transport, shops and jobs.
Why do people keep talking about “two million homes”?
The Government requires the council to enable capacity for around two million dwellings over the next 30 years.
Auckland Council says that number is not a construction target. It’s simply the maximum that could be built if every developable site was fully intensified.
Auckland currently builds about 14,000 homes per year. At that pace, it would take more than 100 years to reach two million.
The capacity requirement gives developers long-term certainty and choice. The actual number of homes built will be dictated by market demand, land prices and infrastructure sequencing.
How will PC120 protect people from hazards?
The draft plan introduces stronger tools, such as:
- Limiting development in floodplains, coastal erosion areas and overland flow paths
- A tougher consenting process for building in hazard-prone areas
- Higher building standards for new homes and subdivisions
- Applying the low-density Single House zone in places at greatest risk
This is the key difference from PC78: PC120 allows safety to come first.
Where will intensification still happen?
PC120 focuses development in areas that make the best use of major public transport and existing infrastructure, including:
- Within 15 minutes’ walk of the city centre
- Within 10 minutes’ walk of train stations, Northern and Eastern Busway stops, and large metro centres such as Manukau, Newmarket, New Lynn, Botany, Papakura, Takapuna, Henderson, Albany, Westgate and Drury
- Along 24 main roads with frequent bus services
In these locations, buildings of six-15-storeys will be enabled depending on transport access and proximity to City Rail Link stations.
What happens next?
Public submissions on PC120 opened on November 3 and close on December 19, followed by formal hearings in 2026. The streamlined process is expected to take about 20 months.
