Do you remember those daily COVID-19 updates during Auckland’s lockdowns? Around that time, a major announcement was made to help create more housing in the major cities. It introduced a mandatory set of building bulk and location rules known as the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS).
What Is Plan Change 78?
Six months later, Auckland Council introduced Plan Change 78 (PC78), which identified where the MDRS would apply. It meant many residential areas — Single House Zones and Mixed Housing Suburban Zones — were rezoned to allow for three-storey homes and higher building coverage. Protections for heritage and character areas were also reduced in some places.
PC78 also implemented the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), with a focus on improving the provision of urban capacity - which by this time had been in place for nearly two years.
Why Was PC78 Put on Hold?
After the severe floods in early 2023, it became clear that the law requiring intensification didn’t take into account areas at risk from natural hazards. For safety reasons, Auckland Council and the Government paused PC78 for residential areas and the Council started working with the government on a better approach.
Which Parts of PC78 Are Still Going Ahead?
Some areas—like Auckland's CBD and main centres (e.g. Manukau, Sylvia Park, Takapuna, Henderson)—are still progressing through the Plan Change process. These focus on boosting capacity of both residential and commercial in key urban locations, in line with the NPS-UD.
What’s New Now?
After a long wait, Parliament has released a Select Committee report on a new law: the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill. This will likely pass into law later this year. Here’s what it means:
It will let Auckland Council cancel the remaining parts of PC78 and remove the MDRS from Auckland.
It will require more housing near rail stations connected to the City Rail Link (CRL), in line with NPS-UD.
Council must write a new Plan Change to support housing and business growth. This must be publicly notified by 10 October 2025.
The new Plan Change must enable at least as much housing capacity as PC78 did. The capacity planned may be greater around the urban centres. It’s unclear how ambitious Council will be, since it previously opposed increased building heights in urban centre areas.
What Happens If You Made a Submission on PC78?
Your PC78 submission will no longer apply. When the new plan change is released, you’ll need to submit feedback again if you have any concerns.
What Might the New Intensification Plan Change Look Like?
The new Plan Change must still aim to:
Increase housing and business land capacity.
Focus on infill housing and smarter use of existing urban land.
Address natural hazards and support needed upgrades to infrastructure.
There will likely be some zoning and overlay changes, but not as extensive as PC78. Also, because the MDRS will no longer apply, some of the stricter building rules (like coverage limits and outdoor space requirements) will likely stay the same within the established Zones of the Plan. The main focus now will probably be on building height—especially in areas zoned for Terraced Housing and Apartments (THAB Zones), where taller buildings could be allowed through greater us of the Height Variation Overlays.
