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Auckland Council The Auckland Plan

Direction 3: Use Auckland’s growth and development to protect and enhance the natural environment

​Continued population growth and urban development are likely to increase the severity and intensity of pressure on Auckland's already stressed environment. 

However, with awareness and effort, and by doing things differently, future development can deliver significant environmental improvements.

Auckland must ensure that development is sustainable and has minimal negative impacts on the natural environment.

It can be done by embedding sustainable environmental practices in our buildings, infrastructure and places and spaces. For example:

  • using resources efficiently and sustainably
  • green infrastructure
  • lowering emissions from transport and industry
  • technological innovation in the construction and form of our buildings.

Auckland's future growth will bring greater levels of investment. Transport, stormwater and wastewater investments in particular will be some of the largest ever made in Auckland.

We can use these investments, and others, to not only perform their technical function but to protect or enhance the overall health of the environment and ecosystems.

As these investments have to be made to service growth, they provide ideal opportunities to make meaningful environmental gains.

This requires different expectations or minimum bottom lines from these investments, starting from their initial conception through to execution.

We can also create buildings that minimise their impacts and maximise the experiences of their inhabitants through the use of green building principles.

Our buildings can be used to generate electricity, food, heat and water, reducing pressure on our already scarce resources.

By embedding more sustainable design principles in the planning, design, construction and operation of our buildings, Auckland can take a whole-of-life approach to protecting and enhancing the natural environment.