What's Actually Changing, and What It Means for Your Auckland Property
If you've been following Auckland's planning landscape, you'll have heard about Plan Change 120 (PC120). PC120 is the proposed change to the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) that aimed to significantly increase housing density across the city. It's been the subject of submissions, debate, and now, a shift in direction from central government.
Here's where things stand, and what it might mean if you're thinking about renovating, building new, or adding a secondary dwelling on your property.
What Was PC120 Trying to Do?
Plan Change 120 was Auckland Council's response to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) and the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS). The goal was to enable around 2 million new dwellings across Auckland by up-zoning land — meaning more properties would be allowed taller buildings, more units, and reduced setbacks than the current AUP permits.
For many homeowners, that would have meant their site's development potential changed significantly — in some cases, opening up options that didn't previously exist.
What's Changed?
Minister Chris Bishop recently announced that the housing capacity requirement would be reduced from the 2 million PC120 aimed for to approximately 1.6 million, described as a midpoint between what the current AUP already enables (1.2 million) and the full PC120 target. In practical terms, this means some of the more ambitious rezoning proposed under PC120 (particularly in suburban Auckland) is likely to be pulled back. The Minister indicated that parts of PC120 may be withdrawn, which would take those areas immediately out of scope for the rest of the process.
What isn't likely to change is intensification around high-frequency public transport. Areas within walkable catchments of City Rail Link stations, rapid transit stops, and metropolitan centres remain a clear priority. If your property is in or near one of these areas, the rules enabling more intensive development are unlikely to soften. The CBD is a separate conversation. Minister Bishop flagged that existing controls, such as setbacks, tower dimensions, height limits may be revisited, but likely through central government regulation under the Resource Management Act (RMA), not through PC120 itself.
What Does This Mean for Your Property?
That depends on where your property is.
If you're close to a CRL station, a metropolitan centre, or a rapid transit corridor, the intensification provisions that apply to your site are unlikely to change materially. If you were planning a renovation, new build, or additional dwelling on that basis, those options are likely to remain available.
If your property is in suburban Auckland, particularly in areas that PC120 proposed to up-zone primarily to meet the 2 million capacity target, there's more uncertainty. Some of that up-zoning may not proceed. Whether your site is affected will depend on the detail of which parts of PC120 are withdrawn, and that detail isn't confirmed yet.
Natural hazard provisions within PC120 are expected to remain unchanged, so if your site has coastal, flood, or slope hazard overlays, those continue to apply regardless of what happens to the density provisions.
Where is the Process Now?
PC120 is mid-stream. Submissions have closed and are being summarised by Auckland Council. Incorporating Minister Bishop's direction requires legislation changes, which then need to flow through the PC120 process itself.
The indicative process from here includes:
- Auckland Council deciding which parts of PC120 to withdraw (those parts exit the process immediately)
- A preliminary hearing where the Panel presents the process and Council explains its approach
- An opportunity after the preliminary hearing for submitters to update their submissions — and for people who didn't submit originally to join the process
- Detailed area-by-area provisions developed by Council for the Hearings Panel
- Formal hearings, followed by the Panel's recommendations to Council
- Council makes the final decisions
This process remains subject to change as the legislation is worked through. Timeframes haven't been formally updated yet.
What Should You Do Now?
If you're actively planning a project in Auckland, the practical advice is to proceed on the basis of what the current AUP allows, at this stage, all projects are being assessed against the current AUP and PC120. Any additional capacity PC120 might have enabled is still uncertain and could look different depending on your location.
If your project relies on PC120 provisions (particularly density or height allowances that don't yet exist under the AUP) it's worth getting advice now rather than waiting. Understanding what's currently permitted, what PC120 proposed for your site, and what's likely to survive the process will help you make better decisions about timing and design approach.
We're tracking PC120 closely and following the upcoming legislation changes. If you want to talk through what this means for a specific project, get in touch.
Want to hear more?
Modal Architecture works with homeowners and developers across Auckland and New Zealand on residential projects of all scales — from single renovations to infill dwellings and new builds. If you want to understand how planning changes like PC120 might affect your property, get in touch below.
