Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre Craig Fredrickson, Auckland Council December 2015
Presentation Structure
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Context and background
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Method and results
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Discussion and outcomes
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Property amalgamations •
Development process • Creation of larger parcels from smaller adjacent parcels
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‘Reverse subdivision’
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Property boundaries once created are hard to unpick - “sticky cadastre”
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Planning often views land as a blank slate
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Redevelopment is impacted by: • • • •
Ownership Size Configuration Location
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Property amalgamations •
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Wide discourse on: •
Large scale urban redevelopment and UDAs
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Acquisition of land (voluntary and involuntary)
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The “holdout problem”
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Policy interventions
Little discourse on: •
Small-scale residential redevelopment
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Amalgamation or assemblage of relatively few, small parcels Wynyard Quarter
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Auckland context Driving forces •
Fast growing population
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50% of NZs population growth in year ending June 2015
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60% of New Zealand’s population growth to 2043
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2014 external migration alone added 22,500 new residents
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Dwelling shortfall – the city is playing catch up
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Auckland context The planning framework •
Spatial plan (The Auckland Plan) •
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60-70% of new dwellings, to 2041, within the 2010 Metropolitan Urban Area
New planning framework •
Replace the existing planning documents
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Create new land use rule book to reach The Auckland Plan vision
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Standardises the 500+ zones from existing plans
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Planning and intensification Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan •
Three new residential zones to encourage intensification
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Low density discouraged
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Higher densities on properties 1200m2 with road frontage of 20m
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Only 6,443 (3%) of parcels in the three zones meet these criteria
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Amalgamation needed to use these provisions on any great scale
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Planning and intensification Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan •
Three new residential zones to encourage intensification
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Low density discouraged
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Higher densities on properties 1200m2 with road frontage of 20m
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Only 6,443 (3%) of parcels in the three zones meet these criteria
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Amalgamation needed to use these provisions on any great scale
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Identifying amalgamations
• Two models developed to determine the change in the number of parcels in any given location between 2004-2014 • Used spatial data, including parcel and title information • Outputs manually checked against aerial photography
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Identifying amalgamations Examples
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Identifying amalgamations Examples
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Findings Number and location •
1,202 residential amalgamations
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Over half in Auckland City area
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Clusters in ‘desirable’ suburbs
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Concentrated on the isthmus
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27% of amalgamations in Residential 6a zone
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Zone allows small lot sizes
Findings Post amalgamation development •
Stand-alone dwellings vs. attached dwellings
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Limited number of higherdensity developments on amalgamations
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Housing New Zealand redevelopment programme – 15% of amalgamations but 20% of dwellings
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Dwellings consented on amalgamations, by type
Density through amalgamation? • Low-levels of amalgamation seen • Mostly stand-alone dwellings • Existing planning rules limit higherdensity developments • Community opposition to intensification • Proposed rules • Increased densities • Increased opportunities • Increased profits for developers?
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Density through amalgamation? • Low-levels of amalgamation seen • Mostly stand-alone dwellings • Existing planning rules limit higherdensity developments • Community opposition to intensification • Proposed rules • Increased densities • Increased opportunities • Increased profits for developers?
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
Overcoming the sticky cadastre? • Economic factors • Extreme house price inflation
• Increased returns; more development? • Example seen in Epping, NSW • NZ Productivity Commission • Suggests amalgamation for development
• Notes the difficulties • Urban Development Authorities • Pānuku Auckland Development • Proposed rules amended
• Reduction of minimum site size for higher density • Removal of road frontage rule
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
More information •
Technical report including full methodology and results available on Auckland Council’s website
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Residential Property Amalgamation and Aggregation Study
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http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/pla nspoliciesprojects/reports/technicalpublicati ons/Pages/technicalreports2015.aspx
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Contact:
[email protected]
Density through amalgamation? Battling the sticky cadastre
