Enabling better growth planning

Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has just released its Urban Development Capacity Dashboard which is a one-stop, online collection of housing market data.

It offers data on prices, rents, sales volume, total stock, consents, population, and housing affordability, along with interactive charts and maps.

MBIE manager of construction and housing policy Di Anorpong said the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (NPS-UDC) directs councils to allow enough development opportunities in their plans to meet demand for housing and business space.

The dashboard, which is to be regularly updated with  new CoreLogic and Statistics NZ data, will provide councils with better evidence and allow them monitor their progress more effectively, she said.

“For council planners, being able to feed in up-to-date land prices and development costs across a council area gives a more realistic picture of whether a property development is likely to go ahead or not.

“The dashboard and the other aids will allow council planners to integrate the data with their own information and be alert to emerging trends earlier. “

The dashboard, which can be accessed here, is part of a larger MBIE work programme that aims to help high- and medium-growth councils deliver better urban planning.

Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend said New Zealand needs to work smarter in accommodating growth and the dashboard will help with that.

Much of Auckland’s current housing crisis is linked to the previous Auckland Regional Council’s lack of growth planning, despite an ever-increasing population, he said.

“We can’t have this situation repeated in other New Zealand cities that need to house a growing population.”

Townsend said the NPS-UDC is essentially an active move by central government to force councils to release land and plan and manage their urban growth.

“The release of land is one part of planning for growth, of equal importance is how we fund and provide the infrastructure like transport, schools and parks to create prosperous communities and cities.”

In his view, the dashboard will enable councils to undertake data-based planning and better respond to growth pressures.

“Giving councils assistance and access to this data is crucial to ensuring growth pays for growth and that a city doesn’t suddenly find itself without good public transport and affordable housing.

“These are the important building blocks that make up a vibrant, thriving city.

“This is about being proactive towards growth, understanding the supply and demand pressures, and planning accordingly.”

Read more:

New urban development policy ready to go 

Council must open up land to match growth