Another month, another update to the RCG Development Tracker – there are 32 new projects in there this month (bringing us to 349), and a number have been updated as well. Some of the newly added developments are:

  • Lakewood Plaza in Manukau
  • Aria Apartments in Ponsonby (part of the Vinegar Lane development)
  • SKHY apartments in Grafton
  • Residence du Lac in Queenstown

… with all of the above being apartment projects in the pre-sales stage.

The tracker isn’t all about apartments, though, and I’ve also added in some terraced housing developments, and retirement villages like Summerset Mountain View and St Kilda Retirement Village, and various office projects including some major ones in Christchurch.

Chch projects
Major developments in Christchurch: a mix of types in the four avenues, and retail in the suburbs

Each month, besides updating the actual Development Tracker page, I’ll try to look at some other aspect of development or construction. This time around, let’s look at the always topical issue of just how many homes are being built. Building consents are the best leading indicator of how man, compared to what we’re used to at least. Apartment figures in Auckland were more or less flat, as were “all dwellings” (which includes detached houses, apartments and everything in between).

Similarly, consents for “all dwellings” are still stubbornly below 8,000 dwellings a year. The Auckland Plan target for this decade is 10,000 homes a year, a level we haven’t reached since 2005. Factor in the record migration into New Zealand (with another record set in January) and it’s clear that we won’t be getting on top of our supply issues any time soon.

All dwelling consents

While I’m on residential, let’s take a look down at Christchurch, where the post-earthquake rebuild has really started to take off.

Chch consents

Greater Christchurch – Christchurch City itself, plus the more small town/ rural Waimakariri and Selwyn districts on either side – is now building nearly as many new homes as Auckland. 6,620 were consented in the last year, up from 5,209 the year before that, and a more typical level of 3,342 the year before that. There were around 8,000 homes “red zoned” after the quakes, and quite a few homes besides that which need to be rebuilt as well, so it’s good to see that the situation is now coming under control (although not soon enough for the many people who were displaced).

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22 comments

  1. ROADING should be looked at – especially the BRIDGE and the area of this area, i.e. parking, etc.
    Cycle track, walking track, etc. WHEN DO SOMEONE LIKE ME GET A REPLY ON THIS – we over the bridge, as you say, dont get much out of our rates, especially this project. WAKE UP, we are Auckland ratepayers, even if we live ‘over the bridge’.

    1. Faye could you perhaps tone down the SHOUTING a bit, this is a volunteer space, we are not Council or Auckland Transport let alone decision makers. And it might be more productive if you shared where exactly you see opportunities to improve things in your area and why?

      Also I might add that it isn’t self-evident that ‘you over the bridge’ don’t get anything. Last week I was at the opening of the lovely Council funded new library in Devonport, and saw the wharf is being rebuilt, some 400 million of motorway widening is happening… The Shore also has the only new Rapid Transit system since the 1930s in Auckland.

      The readers here generally like some evidence and reason to go with any emotion, we look forward to your thoughts.

      1. Don’t forget the $400m+ of VPT that was to make it easier to get to the shore or the tens of millions currently being spent on Albany Highway

  2. Ban foreign investment in existing housing and property and this will then be re-directed into new apartments. Get Auckland to scrap its height limits within 10km of the CBD and watch them go up. This would of course make for a more vibrant city and allow more people to walk/cycle to work or take PT.

    1. That is how Melbourne waive the property tax for new construction to encourage people to invest in new constructions to increase supplies instead of bidding up price for old properties.

  3. Was driving thru inner city Sydney last month. Appartment block covering whole blocks,once wharehousing (low density in essence). The change in designation will put a horrific pressure on the local roading. It appeared that planners did not take into account the effect of the extra congestion that the appartment dwellers would create.

    1. Well, extra people are going to create extra congestion wherever they go, but at least with apartments they’re probably going to have shorter distances to travel, and have better access to alternative modes. They’re also likely to come in at a lower infrastructure cost for the council(s) than dwellings on the city fringe.

      1. John is absolutely right. If those same people are all in dispersed houses out in the countryside their congestion effects will be far greater. They will drive further, for longer, and are almost impossible serve with alternatives. The urban apartment dwellers will be able walk, cycle, or use Transit that can be economically provided because of the density in the city, once they either get sick of sitting in city traffic, or work out just how much money they can save by not driving. See this letter in today herald for how exactly not to house growth and its effects:

        1. The NE of Auckland is going to develop real quick, as has happened on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. People love the ocean. PUFORD will make this happen even faster once open. Is there a RTN part in the PUFORD corridor? If not, this will prove to be an expensive omission.

        2. “Transit that can be economically provided because of the density in the city, once they either get sick of sitting in city traffic,” Are you saying that you want to develop transit by making inner city traffic more congested than it already is? I don’t think that you’ll need to do that…

      2. Agreed. On the Albany Westfield mall web site:

        “There are over 2800 parking spaces at Westfield Albany for your convenience.

        Or enjoy plenty of parking in the lower level carpark opposite North Harbour Stadium.

        For your convenience, Westfield Albany offers shoppers free 90 minute and 240-minute car parking, as marked.”

        Right. I have been there a couple of times, and let me assure you, it’s not always convenient.

        The most convenient way is walking. No need to walk around in circles for ages before entering the shops.

        1. Like all sprawl developments its convenience is inversely proportional to its completion. At the beginning the roads and parking are generally uncongested but as the sites get built on it clogs up. At the beginning there is no apparent need for Transit connection, by the time it’s done it’s generally too late. At least in Albany there is already a station. Shame of course that it’s so isolated by the motorway, but it can be improved.

    2. I’d rather those new residents go in the inner city where people drive the least rather than the edge of the city where they would drive the most.

      1. At least there are plans for 800 more high density dwellings in Albany and it is transit orientated development. That means that those apartment dwellers are far less likely to drive during weekdays if they work in town. During weekends they may drive, but that’s not as bad because roads aren’t that congested then.

        1. It’s a bit on the expensive side in my opinion. Transportblog tweeted this morning that there isn’t the kind of shops that they want in Albany. I will say this, the types of shops that settle in the area depend on the affluence of those living in the complex. I don’t think that it would be a good idea putting boutique clothing stores and boutique coffee shops in a middle class neighbourhood.

    3. Anthony, do you think all those people need a car to get to work? I’ve been there and yes, there is horrible congestion, but most people don’t care because they are not in a car anyway.

  4. I envy those that lice in the inner city, you can walk or cycle and there is No frigging traffic to put up with.

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