Napier approves six-storey housing zones across 44 streets

Napier City Council has approved sweeping changes to its District Plan, paving the way for six-storey terraced housing and apartments across 44 streets near the city centre and Taradale.

The new High Density Residential (HDR) zones cover 1,595 properties, allowing development on a non-notified basisonce the changes formally take effect after all appeals are resolved.

The decision follows a multi-year review and extensive community feedback, with 400 submitters lodging around 500 suggestions. Of these, 200 opposed the proposal, 250 sought amendments, and only 45 were in support, 1News reported.

One submitter wrote that the changes would upend established neighbourhoods: “I find it unbelievable this council would even consider allowing multi-storey apartments to be built in these well-developed Kiwi neighbourhoods without the consent of the neighbouring property owners. Residents will lose sunshine, privacy, and outlook. What has happened to Napier citizens’ rights?”

Addressing Napier’s housing challenge

In a 2023 Hawke’s Bay Today opinion piece, then-mayor Kirsten Wise acknowledged the scale of Napier’s housing problem, saying the city needed “medium and high-density residential zones around commercial centres and main transport routes, away from natural hazards.”

“We envisage high-density residential zones could be terraced homes and urban apartment living up to six storeys close to Napier city centre and Taradale town centre,” Wise said.

She also urged residents to embrace a mindset shift: “It will require a move away from the typical quarter-acre, single-storey, nuclear-family home towards new ways of living.”

The District Plan sets the framework for how Napier’s land is used, developed, and protected — guiding where growth can occur and how activities such as housing, business, and infrastructure are managed, 1News reported.

The policy change comes as New Zealand’s housing market recovers and urban density rises. 

Stats NZ’s Housing in Aotearoa 2025 report shows housing costs up 31% since 2020, outpacing 24% income growth, while every region has grown denser — led by Auckland, up 17.9% to 18.3 dwellings per sq km.

Economist Tony Alexander also notes that more agents now see prices rising, led by first-home buyers, saying the upturn “may prove more durable” as lower rates and improving confidence lift demand.

Community voices shape the outcome

Over the past year, independent commissioners reviewed submissions and evidence before making recommendations to council.
A council spokesperson confirmed that about 7,500 submissions were received across all aspects of the plan, reflecting strong community interest.

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said the public engagement had been invaluable.

“Thousands of people helped shape this plan, and that’s something we are proud of,” McGrath said. “The District Plan was about what Napier would look like in the future, so the submissions from the community are important.”

The council adopted the recommendations on Oct. 9, and the Decisions Version of the Proposed District Plan is now available. All decisions remain open to appeal in the Environment Court.

What the changes mean for advisers and developers

For mortgage advisers and property professionals, the new zoning unlocks opportunities for multi-unit housing projectsand urban redevelopment across key corridors like Marine Parade, Kennedy Road, and Puketapu Road.

With Napier’s population growth continuing and affordability pressures rising, the shift toward higher-density living signals a new wave of financing demand for infill and apartment developments.

Streets included in the rezoning

The HDR zoning applies to parts of Nelson Cr, Kennedy Rd, Higgins St, Georges Drive, Peddie St, Mckenzie Ave, Herrick St, Gloucester St, Avondale Rd, Devon St, Douglas Mclean Ave, Hammond Rd, Wellesley Rd, Eton Rd, Hastings St, Carnell St, Jull St, Church Rd, Gebbie Rd, White St, Oxford St, Puketapu Rd, Meeanee Rd, Devonshire Pl, Roskilda Cr, Marine Parade, Hall St, Latham St, Murphy Rd, Elbourne St, Winifred St, McDonald St, Munroe St, Lee Rd, Gebbie St, Sale St, Owen St, Neeve Rd, Storkey Rd, Russell Rd, Thackeray St, Nuffield Ave, Wilding Ave, and Weatherfield Mews.

Bottom line: Napier’s new District Plan marks a major shift toward urban intensification. With six-storey housing now permitted across dozens of streets, the move promises to reshape the city’s skyline — and create new lending, investment, and construction opportunities for advisers and developers alike.

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