Effective Planning 78 is a proposed plan change that aims to enable more intensive and diverse housing development in Auckland, New Zealand. The plan change would allow up to three dwellings on most urban sites without needing resource consent, and more flexible development standards for medium density residential areas. The plan change is part of the Auckland Unitary Plan, which is the main planning document that sets out how the city will grow and develop.
The plan change was originally scheduled to be completed by March 2024, but it has been delayed by 12 months due to the impact of severe weather events that occurred in January and February 2023. These events caused widespread flooding, landslides, and damage to infrastructure, which raised concerns about the suitability and resilience of some areas for intensification. The Auckland Council requested and received an extension from the Minister for the Environment to allow time for further investigations on natural hazards and flooding, and to consider how these issues would affect the plan change.
The plan change is intended to address some of the key challenges that Auckland faces, such as housing