Housing Accord and Special Housing Areas (2013-2019)

Fourteen special housing areas were established in Tauranga between 2013 and 2019, to increase the supply of land for housing. Together they provided capacity for over 3200 new homes.

Special housing areas were sites suitable for new housing and able to be developed fast to increase housing supply, through an accelerated resource consenting process. 

These special housing areas were set up under the Tauranga Housing Accord, an agreement between Council and the government to address housing issues in the city. The government had housing accords with all high growth councils in New Zealand.

While the accord was in play it set annual targets for the number of sections and dwellings to be consented. To help achieve these targets, council could recommended to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development specific sites in the city that were suitable for new housing and that could be delivered to the market fast: special housing areas (SHAs).

The Tauranga Housing Accord expired in September 2019, when the Government repealed the legislation that enabled the establishment of SHAs.

Approved special housing areas

From 2013 to 2019, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development approved 14 SHAs in Tauranga, based on Council’s recommendation. Twelve of these proceeded to the consenting stage (the developers of the remaining two SHAs decided not to go ahead) and now 10 of the areas have been or are being developed for housing.

If your property sits within a SHA, this is noted in your property’s LIM (land information memorandum). If you live near a proposed or approved SHA, you can find all council correspondence sent to your property’s address about the proposed SHA in your property file. 

If you have questions about any of these sites, you can contact the City Planning team on 07 577 7000 or info@tauranga.govt.nz 

About special housing areas

Special housing areas were sites in the city that were suitable for new housing and able to be developed fast to increase housing supply. Development of these sites was able to be fast-tracked under the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013, through an accelerated resource consenting process.

Special housing areas were proposed by landowners/developers, considered by Council and if supported by Council, submitted to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development for a final decision.

Special housing areas could be established only in areas where there is a clear demand for housing, and where there is already suitable infrastructure in place (e.g. roads, wastewater systems, water supply pipes), or plans for it to be built.

Developments did not need to be for low cost housing, affordable housing or social housing in order to be progressed through a special housing area. But when recommending special housing areas, council included criteria specifying maximum building height, the minimum number of dwellings and a measure for affordable houses.