Documents

In this section you will find all relevant background documents relating to the Planning for Growth project. This includes all technical and background reports as well as engagement/feedback summaries.

For questions regarding any of these documents send us an email at planningforgrowth@wcc.govt.nz

Johnsonville walkable catchment testing

Wellington City Council reviewed and updated its walking network in late 2020/early 2021 using pedestrian infrastructure pathways (footpaths, crossings, tracks), topography, and walking rate calculations.

This network was used to create walkable catchments for the Wellington City Spatial Plan to support implementation of the intensification provisions of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD 2020). It has also informed the zoning being proposed in the District Plan review.

Wellington City Spatial Plan & Draft District Plan: Johnsonville walkable catchment testing

Assisted Housing

Assisted housing is any form of long-term housing coordinated by government, local government, iwi or community housing providers, where the cost for residents is less than the market rate. Examples include long-term “peppercorn” leases, rent-to-buy, long-term affordable rentals and subsidised co-housing. Assisted housing can also be called “retained affordable housing”.

We are consulting on four district plan options to increase the supply of assisted housing in Wellington City: two voluntary options, two mandatory options. The Council commissioned two reports about the options that would require or incentivise housing developers to contribute part of their developments as assisted housing, or money to build assisted housing. These types of options can also be called “inclusionary housing” or “inclusionary zoning”. The reports estimate the effects on the assisted housing supply, and the supply of housing overall.

Assessing inclusionary zoning for Wellington City Council housing (June 2021) This is a short, qualitative brief on the possible economic impacts of mandatory assisted housing rules.

Wellington City inclusionary zoning options economic assessment (October 2021) This considers the housing supply effects of a mandatory contribution option, and a voluntary contribution option with a building height incentive. The report also considers a mandatory option for properties that have already been given a 25% height bonus. The numbers should be interpreted with caution. The report compares three areas: Te Aro (city centre zone), Johnsonville (metropolitan centre), and Tawa (rapid transit walking catchment), and uses the current district plan’s development rules – not the draft rules in the draft District Plan.

A social impact assessment of the assisted housing options is underway. The report will be added to this webpage when completed.

Planning for Natural Hazards

Over the past year we have been investigating and updating our information on natural hazards in Wellington. This work has been vital for informing the Draft District Plan. The hazard and risk overlays in the Draft District Plan are based on the five reports provided here. We recommend the overlays are viewed in conjunction with these reports.

Please note that these reports are:

nonspecific to any particular properties
subject to public consultation and a statutory process before they are finalised
based on a number of assumptions, scenarios and probabilities which may affect the findings of the reports

Sea-Level Rise Projections - March 2021

Coastal Hazards Report - August 2021

Tsunami Hazards Report - September 2021

Active Fault Mapping Report - May 2021

Liquefaction Susceptibility Report - May 2021

Planning for Residential Amenity

This report forms part of the background work to inform the Draft District Plan Rules and Standards

Wellington City Council commissioned Boffa Miskell Ltd to prepare this report to assist with implementing the requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD). The report provides recommendations on what represents a reasonable level of amenity in the context of the requirements of the NPS-UD, and the potential planning controls could be used to achieve a balance of growth and amenity.

You can read the report at the link below:

Planning for Residential Amenity Report July 2021

WCC Spatial Plan - Three Waters Assessment - Growth Catchments Mahi Table and Cost Estimates March 2021

Following consultation on the Draft Spatial Plan, officers have been working with WWL and requested further information to help inform the finalisation of the Spatial Plan and the proposed approach to coordinating infrastructure investment to support growth.

This report is a response to this and it builds on the earlier WWL assessments and summarises the existing 3-water network constraints of key growth areas identified in the Spatial Plan and the infrastructure upgrades and environmental considerations required to support growth.

You can read the report at the link below:
Three Waters Assessment - Growth Catchments Mahi Table and Cost Estimates March 2021

Citywide Estimated Growth Distribution Figures

Citywide Estimated Growth Distribution Figures September 2021

Citywide Estimated Growth Distribution Figures 25/09/2020

Wellington Outer Suburbs Assessment and Evaluation

Wellington Outer Suburbs Assessment & Evaluation Report (2020)

Wellington Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment

The Regional Housing and Business Capacity Assessment Report takes a 30-year look at Wellington’s urban District Councils (Wellington, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, Porirua, and Kapiti Coast) capacity for housing and business. The report estimates that based on predicted population growth across the five districts, and current development controls and patterns, the region faces a shortfall of approximately 9,000 to 21,000 dwellings. Without action, Wellington City will face a shortfall of between 4,600 and 12,000 dwellings by 2047.

Regional Summary Report

Wellington Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity - Chapter 1 - Regional Summary PDF - 1852.16 KB

Individual Council Chapters

Appendices

News Release

News: District Plan review needed to curb future housing shortage (08.11.2019) PDF - 570.92 KB

Planning for Growth Issues and Opportunities Report

This report provides a background of the overall growth issues facing Wellington City and outlines some of the key challenges and decisions ahead for Planning for Growth. The report highlights the various other topics that that are relevant to Planning for Growth and notes how they overlap and are related. The different topic ares covered are:

Land use and Housing
Transport
Infrastructure (Three Waters)
Open Space and Natural Environment
Climate Change
Urban Design
Heritage
Community Facilities and systems

Planning for Growth Issues and Opportunities Report PDF - 2158.46 KB

WCC Planning for Future Growth: Preliminary Baseline Scenarios

To inform the development of the four scenarios, we engaged Beca Limited to first develop a set of preliminary scenarios to help understand the opportunities and constraints to accommodating growth in different parts of the City. We developed four deliberately contrasting scenarios and evaluated the outcomes of each on a range of topics such as housing choice, transport, natural environment, and natural hazard risk. These preliminary scenarios were then refined further into the four growth scenarios above. For more information on these preliminary scenarios see the report below.

Preliminary Baseline Scenarios Report PDF - 2638.25 KB

Pre-1930's Character Assessment Report (2019)

This report is a stocktake of our inner city character areas (Mt Victoria, Thorndon, Mt Cook, Newtown, Berhampore, Aro Valley/The Terrace, and Holloway Road) where the demolition of buildings constructed prior to 1930 is controlled by the District Plan. The purpose of the report is to gain an accurate and consistent view of how well this character has been retained since the areas were first identified in the 1990s. It has been commissioned as part of the Planning for Growth project, and our next steps are to talk with the community and residents about where and how the city should grow, while protecting the things the community values.

Pre-1930's Character Area Review (2019) PDF - 11830.37 KB

Pre-1930's Character Area Review (2019) - Story Map