Successful policy challenged by those who should know a lot better

In 2020 under the National Policy Statement – Urban Development, Minimum Parking Requirements were effectively banned out of every Planning document in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Simply put the Plans could not dictate a minimum amount of car parks to a residential or commercial development, it was left for the market to (rightfully) decide between resident, tenant, owner and developer. In doing this new builds have been able to freely allocated parking (or no parking in the case of Ockham’s developments) according to the needs and wants of the residents as more people go car free (and as especially as people go car free or even reduce to one car as the 2026 oil crisis rumbles on).

We also have to remember parking does cost and is never free. In Auckland the average cost for a parking spot to be added to a residential or commercial development is around $65,000 per parking stall per dwelling (or development if mixed use or commercial). When residential developments were required under MPRs to provide two parking spots per dwelling, those who did not want the parking spots were easily looking at between $65,000 to $130,000 added to the cost of their new dwelling. Effectively a car tax when we should be encouraging other modes in our urban areas. There is also the effective of wasted land, urban design failures, and the encouragement of sprawl but they are topics in their own right.

Now, a common complaint with moving MPR’s is that developers are not required to provide parking (they are not as it is a free market transaction if you want a parking stall) and thus the household with five cars is now clogging the on streeting parking in the residential area. That problem is two fold: the residents failing to exercise responsibility and selecting dwellings that can actually accommodate their cars off street through the free market, AND Auckland Transport not regulating on street parking properly (ironically through no fault of their own). As a consequence certain local and central elected representatives have needled Minister Bishop into bring MPRs back despite all the evidence pointing MPRs are exceeding bad for cities.

Being the Planner I am, and having submitted personally in 2020, and then again on behalf of the last organisation I worked for in 2025 to the NPS-UD against MPR’s I emailed Minister Bishop around my concerns with said MPR’s. The Minister’s official response is below.

Somewhat reassuring that Minimum Parking Requirements are not really a high priority for the Minister while at the same time looking at the regulations around on street parking could very well need tweaking. As a follow up and knowing the Select Committee Report to the Planning Bill is out either July or August, I sent the Minister an Official Information request to see if I can get some more information around official advice and methodology with parking. That advice is due back at the end of May 2026.

The OIA regarding the following questions regarding Minimum Parking Requirements:

1. What advice has the Minister received regarding Minimum Parking Requirements including evidence of the negative consequences caused by these requirements being in Planning laws and documents
2. Is the Minister aware that no submissions to the National Policy Statement – Urban Development requested the return of Minimum Parking Requirements? And the summary of submissions to the NPS-UD provided by MfE clearly and categorically stated no submitter including Auckland Council wanted Minimum Parking Requirements to return to the Planning regime?
3. If Minimum Parking Requirements were to return where would they be placed? Will the text be in the Planning Bill or back in the NPS-UD?
4. Despite submissions clearly stating that no Council wants Minimum Parking Requirements do return,, if they were to return will it be open to the full submission rounds again?
5. Finally in light of comments raised by Auckland Councillor for Howick Bo Burns, regarding on-street parking problems apparently caused by urban development in Auckland, what will the Minister consider to make it easier and less costly for Councils to roll out interventions such as No Stopping at All Times Lines (yellow lines) and paid parking without being bogged down in needless and unnecessary consultation rounds? 

I won’t push for the Japan method of no car unless you can prove it you can store it off street as public on street parking is simply not a thing normally – YET.

We await the Minister’s answer to my OIA come end of the month!