Fast-Track consent granted for Brickfields development in Hobsonville

Andrew Braggins and Tamsin Gorman, working with a multidisciplinary team including Civix planners and BDG Architects, have obtained resource consent for a 418-unit residential development on a 7.5 ha site in Hobsonville for Aedifice Development. Consent was applied for under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 (“the FTA”).

Around 150 of the dwellings are intended to be Kiwibuild properties, providing a valuable contribution to the supply of affordable housing for Aucklanders.

Berry Simons was able to demonstrate to the expert consenting panel at the Environmental Protection Authority that the project was appropriate in terms of the scale and character of the surrounding environment, particularly given the multiple zones across the site, comprising predominantly mixed housing suburban with areas of mixed housing urban and single house zone. 

Notably, the Panel found that evidence provided by the Applicant’s 17 experts was generally preferred over evidence provided on behalf of Auckland Council which did not support certain urban design aspects of the development, including the housing design in the single house zone and the length of some blocks of housing across the site.

The project met the purpose of the FTA as it will provide an estimated 1,045 Full-Time Equivalent jobs on an annualised basis.  There will also be flow-on effects to the local retail economy from having more people living and working in the area. 

Partner Andrew Braggins says,

“It was a pleasure working with the high quality team Aedifice put together. Aedifice’s clear vision for the site, supported by robust technical analysis, meant the Panel was able to grant consent to the development as proposed without any delays for the project team.”