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The Government has instructed the Auckland Council to allow apartment buildings of at least 15 storeys near key train stations as the City Rail Link (CRL) nears completion.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown today said the Government would require Auckland to allow even greater housing and development around CRL stations, “ensuring that Auckland takes economic advantage of this transformational investment in the city”.

“CRL is a massive multibillion-dollar investment for the Government and Auckland Council,” Bishop said.

“It’s important that we get bang for buck by maximising the opportunities for economic growth and increased productivity that the CRL will bring when it opens next year.”

The Government recently announced that it and the council had reached agreement to free up more land for housing, particularly around stations that will benefit from the CRL investment.

The Resource Management (Consenting and Other Matters) Amendment Bill currently required Auckland to allow for greater density around the key stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland and Morningside, Bishop said.

Maungawhau/Mount Eden CRL station under construction in August 2022. Photo / Michael Craig

“The bill currently provides that Auckland Council must enable within a walkable distance from these stations heights and densities reflective of the higher demand for housing and business in these areas, and at a minimum, no less than six storeys.”

However, the Government had decided these requirements, “while a step forward, don’t go far enough”.

It was therefore moving an amendment to the bill to:

• Extend the requirement to enable heights and densities reflective of the demand for housing and business to two additional stations: Mt Albert and Baldwin Ave.
• Require upzoning allowing buildings of at least 15 storeys high around the stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland, and Morningside.
• Require upzoning allowing buildings of at least 10 storeys high around Mt Albert and Baldwin Ave stations.
  Brown said both Mt Albert and Baldwin stations were “ripe for development”, sitting close to Unitec’s campus and Mt Albert’s popular shops and cafes.

“Increasing development capacity in the area will allow for more commuters and more students to live close to the stations, adding vibrancy to these suburbs.

“The Government is determined to fix our housing crisis and a key step toward that is unlocking housing capacity in Auckland.”

Mayor Wayne Brown said the CRL is a more than $5 billion investment in Auckland’s continued growth.

“Enabling greater housing intensification along this corridor will help us maximise the benefits of this investment and provide more homes in a city geared up for growth.”

“Once this law is passed, we can get on with intensification. We’ve now fixed the city centre and rapid transport corridors, and I look forward to working with the Government to make sure we deliver growth in the right places for the rest of the region,” the mayor said.

This month the Government and the Auckland Council agreed to the upzoning of land close to the CRL with “building heights of at least six storeys”.

The Government has given the council until October 10 to finalise a plan enabling upzoning around the train stations and other parts of the city.

Last month, the council met a request from the Government to increase building heights in the central city.

Auckland has few apartment buildings of 15 storeys or more, most of which are in the central city. The Civic Administration Building, turned into apartments, is 18 storeys, the Metropolis skyscraper has 40 storeys, and the Pacifica has 57 floors. Construction on another skyscraper, the soaring 56-level, Seascape tower, was paused in August last year.