Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

It was a big day at Auckland Council yesterday, and I think a good day.   The Policy and Planning Committee met for most of yesterday to thrash out the future of Auckland’s housing, debating where and how Auckland is going plan for more homes. The council voted 18-5 to discard PC78 and notify PC120 – which basically means the 3 storey townhouses seen increasingly all over Auckland’s suburbs are on the way out, and high-rises and greater intensification around key CRL stations and transport corridors are in.   This is, of course, highly contentious – and where you lean in the debate may depend on what neighbourhood you live in. Residents of wealthy inner city suburbs like Mt Eden, Parnell, Herne Bay, and Grey Lynn will likely have reservations about more high-rise apartments in their neighbourhoods – citing a loss of character, loss of light, and an increased demand on infrastructure. The new plan retains 73% of the special character areas established under the 2016 Auckland unitary plan, which isn’t