Urban Development News from the media | 19 August 2025 | Palmy rezoning hearing set for 18 Aug — Plan Change I

Palmy rezoning hearing set for 18 Aug — Plan Change I (medium-density)

A procedural hearing for Plan Change I — rezoning areas for medium-density (e.g., duplex housing) — opens 18 August at 10 am, then adjourns to reconvene 1 September. Over 214 submissions have been received. The change aims to allow more housing types to meet city growth needs.

Palmy will likely become a metropolitan city by 2030, meaning we’ll be a city of more than 100,000 people.

In 2020, the government placed requirements on Council to set housing targets and make sure our city’s infrastructure and services will be able to meet future demand. To do this, Palmy needs 5,000 new homes over the next 10 years, and 13,000 new homes over the next 30 years.

https://www.pncc.govt.nz/Participate-Palmy/Have-your-say/Proposed-Plan-Change-I?utm_source=chatgpt.com

City Rail Link test trains start — project on track for 2026 opening

Test trains are running through Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL), a 3.5 km underground rail tunnel under construction. Scheduled to open early 2026, CRL will create two new inner-city stations and convert Waitematā into a through-station, increasing network capacity.

https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/testing

Foreign investment regime overhaul opens NZ to global capital

Ainvest reports the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test) Amendment Bill 2025 has removed the default scrutiny for foreign investments—unless flagged as a national interest risk. Approvals are now accelerated, particularly for infrastructure, commercial real estate, and major housing projects. Logistics and industrial real estate (especially in Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga) are key targets. The shift signals pro-investment posture to attract global growth capital.

https://www.ainvest.com/news/zealand-2025-real-estate-revolution-strategic-entry-points-global-investors-liberalizing-market-2508/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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