UPDATE FROM MFE: New Policy Proposed for Urban Development

The Government's proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity will require councils to ensure land supply for housing and business keeps pace with growth.

The policy requires councils to:

• Provide sufficient land for new housing and business to match projected growth in their region, city or district plans.
• Monitor and respond to housing affordability data, building and resource consent data, and value of land on the urban boundaries.
• Take into account the difference between planned and commercially feasible development capacity, and provide for over-supply to ensure competition (20 per cent short to medium-term, 15 per cent long-term).
• Co-ordinate their infrastructure and ensure their consenting processes are customer focused.
• Recognise the national significance of ensuring sufficient land is available over local interests.
  

The draft National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity is open for submissions until Friday 15 July. The intention is to finalise the policy and for it to take effect in October this year, in conjunction with the Resource Management Act changes and Auckland's new Unitary Plan.

Information on how to make a submission, including supporting documents is available at www.mfe.govt.nz/more/towns-and-cities/proposed-national-policy-statement-urban-development-capacity. This includes a discussion document which contains the proposed NPS-UD, a report prepared under section 32 of the RMA and a regulatory impact statement.

Submissions can also be sent to Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 106483, Auckland City 1143 or email npsurbandevelopment@mfe.govt.nz

The closing date for submissions is 5 pm on Friday 15 July 2016.

If you have any questions about the NPS-UDC please email us at: npsurbandevelopment@mfe.govt.nz or visit www.mfe.govt.nz/rma.