Changes to car parking requirements around New Zealand

As of 17 December 2021, the Queenstown Lakes District Council has removed from its Operative and Proposed District Plans all requirements for car parks in new developments. This amendment was mandated by the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020.

The removal of minimum car parking requirements has been made in cities with over 10,000 people and now leaves car parking up to the property owner to provide if they see necessary.

A key driver for this change was the aim to increase the density of housing in urban centres. The removal of car parking requirements allows for the ability to build on land which would have otherwise been parking space. It is thought that this change should result in improved development economics for intensive housing developments, including affordable housing.

The removal of minimum car parking requirements does not impact on the requirement for accessible car parks.

In addition to the removal of car park requirements, local authorities in Tier 1 urban environments will also be required to make amendments to District Plans to enable buildings of six storeys in height in central business areas. There is limited ability for local authorities to modify this height allowance.  Tier 2 (Queenstown) and 3 urban environments must enable heights and density of urban areas in proportion to relative demand for housing and business in that location. Exact heights required are not recorded.

The change in height restrictions must come into effect by August 2022. 

If you need assistance on how this could affect your development or residential build, please contact the Property and Resource Management Law experts at TODD & WALKER Law. Contact us on [email protected] or call 03 441 2743.