Wayne Brown says fast-track backtrack doesn't go far enough

Auckland’s Mayor, an outspoken critic of the fast-track regime being used for housing developments, says promised changes to the law don’t go far enough.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop announced last week he will change rules so councils can accurately charge fast-track developers for the cost of infrastructure.

But the law change won’t affect projects that have already been approved or lodged.

“This is a positive step that fixes a glaring oversight in the fast-track system, but it has come much too late,” Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says.

Auckland Council estimates hundreds of millions of dollars are being lost in development contributions – fees developers normally pay for the infrastructure associated with projects – because fast-track projects skip the usual consenting process and therefore the normal fee calculations.

“We’ve identified situations where fast-track developments may proceed ahead of council infrastructure planning, where developments may take up network capacity intended for live-zoned land, or where developments rely on infrastructure across a council boundary,” Bishop said.

“Councils have told us that they are not able to effectively recover the costs of enabling infrastructure for growth, particularly when it comes to unplanned or out-of-sequence developments.”

Outrage over residential fast-track developments has been growing around the country, with the mayors of Auckland and Queenstown banding together to ask Bishop to put a pause on residential projects.

“Growth should pay for the costs of growth and ratepayers should not be forced to subsidise developers,” Brown told the Herald.

“The fundamental problems with many of these fast-tracked greenfield projects remain. They put thousands of houses in rural areas where there is no public infrastructure and they don’t force developers to build quickly, defeating the point of fast-track and encouraging land banking.

“I will keep working with other mayors and councils to respond to the problems that Wellington is creating by continuing to fast-track rural greenfield housing projects”

The mayors of Waimakiriri and Selwyn are now working together to back calls for a pause on those housing developments, joining forces with Brown and Queenstown Mayor John Glover.

Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon said fast-track is being used to ignore local voices and force through unsuitable development in some areas when there is more than enough land already zoned.

“In Waimakariri we have capacity for up to 17,000 new homes already. What we’re seeing is Fast-track applications come in for places that are not suitable at all,” Gordon said.

“My view is there is no need to pursue development in unsuitable areas, or against community wishes, when we already have the capacity and connections to infrastructure sorted.”

Pegasus Golf Course, bought by property developer Wolfbrook in May 2026, has been closed with the intention of rezoning the land as residential, which is possible under the Government's fast-track legislation. Photo / Anna Heath

Gordon said that includes proposals such as Ōhoka, which has been independently reviewed and declined already, and Pegasus Golf Course.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said the area faces multiple proposals that could build a further 8000 houses, most of which sit outside the council’s planned infrastructure investment.

She welcomed the changes announced by Bishop.

“But we are still concerned about the scale of fast-tracks and lack of community input,” Giddon said.

But Bishop told Radio New Zealand that projects can’t legally be paused.

“There’s no legal ability to pause fast-track housing projects, but I am conscious of the concerns of Auckland and Queenstown,” he said.

“Also, there’s concerns from Lydia Gliddon down in Rolleston... and other mayors around the country.”

Katie Bradford is a Senior Correspondent at the Herald. She has been a broadcast journalist for over 20 years and was based in the press gallery for 10 years. She specialises in politics, business and Auckland issues.