Leaders of Industry

On 21 August 2025, Auckland Council will consider draft changes to the Unitary Plan replacing Plan Change 78 — strengthening hazard protections and potentially boosting housing capacity from 900k to 2M homes. Learn what this means for developers and landowners.

The Government’s Going for Housing Growth discussion document, released on 18 June 2025, proposes major planning changes to address New Zealand’s housing shortage.

Two recent updates from Watercare and central government are set to influence how and where growth can occur across Auckland. These changes affect both infrastructure planning and urban development zoning.

Auckland Council has adopted a revised Development Contributions Policy effective 1 July 2025. The final policy sets lower rates than initially proposed, easing cost pressures for developers and helping support better housing affordability across the region.

From early 2026, the proposed new rules will allow minor dwelling units (granny flats) of up to 70m² to be built on most residential and rural-zoned sites without the need for building or resource consents. Learn more about what is expected to be permitted under the new regulations.