Council applies brakes to Mahurangi growth

Growth in Warkworth will be shunted back at least a decade if Auckland Council adopts a draft Future Development Strategy, which is out for public feedback until July 4.

The strategy revisits the time frames for live zoning large tracts of greenfield land around the town.

Council wants to delay development in

Warkworth, Wellsford and Algies Bay, Silverdale, Orewa and Dairy Flat until critical infrastructure can be provided.

It has also marked some future urban zoned land for further investigation due to infrastructure constraints, emissions reduction and natural hazards considerations.

Auckland Plan strategy and research general manager Jacques Victor says this doesn’t mean that these areas cannot be developed in the future, but there needs to be a better understanding of the impacts on people and property.

“Future urban (greenfield) land is an important part of the council’s overall strategy for Auckland’s growth and making sure people have housing choices available,” Victor says.

One Mahurangi has described the plan as “a shambles” (see story page 3) and the developer of Warkworth south says council will have a legal battle on its hands if it tries to implement unnecessary delays (see story page 2).

With half a million more people expected to live in Auckland by 2058, council says continued page 2

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