Wellington Regional Growth Framework
Working together to plan for our future
What is the Wellington Regional Growth Framework?
The Framework is a spatial plan that describes a long-term vision for how the region will grow, change and respond to key urban development challenges and opportunities in a way that gets the best outcomes and maximises the benefits across the region.
WHY
The region is growing faster than it has done for many decades and is facing immediate and longer-term housing supply and affordability, urban development and infrastructure challenges.
WHO
This is a collaboration between local councils, central government and māna whenua.
We’ve talked to groups, business and organisations to help us build a framework for future planning and growth.
WHERE
The Framework includes Masterton, Carterton, South Wairarapa, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Porirua, Kāpiti Coast and Horowhenua.
Our current priorities
Housing supply, affordability, and choice
Housing is unaffordable for many people in the region. A lack of supply, limited choice, and decreasing affordability is contributing to homelessness, overcrowding and poor health and educational outcomes.
The demand for housing is pushing more residential growth to outer areas such as Levin and Wairarapa – causing the displacement of communities.
Region-wide work is needed to understand the required investment in infrastructure and the barriers affecting supply.
Transport choice and access
Demand for public transport is growing, but car use remains the dominant mode of travel. Traffic congestion is affecting journey times, causing delays, and carbon emissions are increasing.
Access to social and economic opportunities is also constrained by the affordability of travel, undeveloped transport connections and limited public transport services.
The transport system needs to make it easier for people to get around, while creating less congestion, fewer emissions and creating more liveable places.
Iwi/Māori housing, capacity and taonga
Māori home ownership rates are lowest in the Wellington-Horowhenua region with access to affordable housing a significant issue.
Opportunities to improve housing for Māori are being developed in partnerships between iwi, local government, and central government but we have identified a need for Iwi/Māori organisations to have greater capacity when participating in these processes.
Climate change and resilience
One of the challenges for the region is how to balance existing built-up areas, a continuing demand to build in coastal and/or hazard prone areas and risks that this brings with rising sea levels.
Some regions are already being and likely to become more impacted by climate change in the future. The region has a good base with regards to the natural environment, but we will need to do better.
Next steps
We are now implementing the Wellington Regional Growth Framework. If you’d like to be kept up to date with what’s happening sign up to our newsletter.
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Our partners
Central Government, councils from the region and mana whenua have worked together to develop the Framework and build an enduring regional growth partnership. Our partners are listed in full here.
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