ARC declares war on high-density housing

The Auckland Regional Council is preparing to go to war with Aucklanders over its plans for an explosion in high-density housing developments across the region.

More than 1700 Aucklanders have objected to plans intended to allow a rash of new apartment blocks and terraced houses.

Housing lobby groups say there is growing public concern about shoddy developments, and have warned they are prepared to go into battle over the issue.

But the ARC has warned it will fight back just as hard. It is trying to ensure the region's seven councils toe the line on the new plans, and is appealing some city council decisions reached after lengthy community consultation.

The organisation says Aucklanders should be proud of its strategy, intended to pave the way for an extra 320,000 homes to be built by 2050.

It wants to see 70 per cent of the new homes contained within the region's existing limits, which means increasing housing intensity from 10 dwellings per hectare in most areas, to 50 or more.

Its determination follows a new report into the social implications of housing intensification. The independent report, jointly commissioned by the ARC, Auckland and Waitakere city councils, and Housing New Zealand, says there is no conclusive evidence that intensive housing developments increase social problems such as poverty and crime.

However, it acknowledges they have failed to reduce housing costs for those most in need, and have so far failed to ease the burden on the region's roads.

While the report backs the ARC's strategy, it notes that many planners are having second thoughts about such developments, and says the biggest challenge will be ensuring they attract a diverse mix of residents.

ARC chairman Mike Lee, who is also chairman of the Auckland Regional Growth Forum, told the Herald on Sunday he was unconcerned about the public criticism. "If we're doing the right thing and that makes us unpopular, them's the breaks," he said.

The council says it has been ordered by the Government to contain urban sprawl before the Government will seriously fund the region's transport priorities. It also says it has been ordered to co-ordinate the submissions against city council plan changes.

The ARC will hold joint hearings this year with city council representatives for the first time.

Its tactics follow a bitter debate in the suburb of Panmure, where residents have won a six-year battle to convince the city council to limit new developments to two storeys. The ARC has appealed the decision to the Environment Court, wanting the height limit to be three storeys.

Mr Lee said the ARC believed the city council had gone too far to appease the community.

Auckland University senior planning lecturer Tricia Austin described the ARC action as unfortunate. "For Auckland to sit down with Panmure residents and do so and reach accord and then have that challenged in court by the ARC is not a good look."

The ARC's approach has also angered Auckland's Housing Lobby, which has collected 500 submissions against the proposed changes.

The group's spokeswoman, Sue Henry, said the ARC was interfering in decisions which should be made between the city council and the community.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY