PC78 Fails to Deliver on Housing
$5 Billion on CRL — But Still No Room to Grow
Auckland is building a $5 billion underground train line into the city centre — but the latest planning rules will make sure people can’t live near it.
Plan Change 78 (PC78), Auckland Council’s flailing housing plan, keeps tight building height limits and strict heritage overlays in large parts of the city centre — including right next to new City Rail Link (CRL) stations. On the doorstep of Karanga-a-hape and Te Waihorotiu stations the height limits are the same or lower than in far-flung suburban centres like Botany or Westgate.
“PC78 gives us the density of Botany and the house prices of Manhattan”, says Scott Caldwell, the spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes.
A Five-Year Wait — For More of the Same
It’s been five years since the Government introduced the NPS-UD to force councils to enable more housing in high-access areas. The policy is clear: city centres should grow the most.
Yet PC78 delivers little real change on the ground. Unlimited height is allowed in only a tiny pocket, ignoring the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD)’s Policy 3(a), which requires enabling as much development capacity as possible in the city centre.
“Other cities finished their plans a year ago, and yet, Auckland’s still stuck on the city centre,” said Caldwell. “At some point, it stops looking like caution and starts looking like predatory delay.”
Heritage Over Homes — Again
After public outcry over the Karangahape Road heritage overlays blocking housing development, many hoped PC78 would respond. Instead, Council has made only token changes — and many city centre precincts remain locked behind outdated rules.
“We’re not saying bulldoze every old building,” said Caldwell. “But when you’re blocking homes next to a multi-billion-dollar train station, the priorities are wrong.”
Call to Action: No More Excuses
PC78 is a once-in-a-generation chance to unlock real housing near infrastructure we’ve already paid for. But right now, Auckland Council is failing to deliver.
We call on Auckland Council to:
- Uphold Policy 3(a) of the NPS-UD: enable true development capacity in the city centre.
- Stop hiding behind process: actually deliver the housing Auckland needs.
- Put people before preservation: especially near billion-dollar transit.
The CRL was built to unlock the city. PC78 keeps it locked. That’s not good enough.