Plan Change 120 (PC120) - What it means for Gulf Harbour

Auckland Council's Plan Change 120 (PC120): Housing Intensification and Resilience introduces changes to how natural hazards, including flooding from stormwater and future sea level rise, are identified and managed across Auckland.

As part of PC120, new Flood Plain and Coastal Inundation Maps were introduced and took legal effect in November 2025. Taking into account future climate change scenarios, these maps identify areas that may be affected by flooding during a 1-in-100-year rainfall event and sea level rise.

For Gulf Harbour, the current mapping shows all GHMVRA properties are in the Flood Plain and all are subject to Coastal Inundation, whilst 24% have been rezoned to a single house.

This may affect:

Information recorded on LIM reports
Property insurance and premiums
Property values and future saleability
Resource consent requirements
Property development and rebuilding options

PC120 Map Viewer

GHMVRA Concerns

The Gulf Harbour Marine Village Residents Association (GHMVRA) has the following concerns:

Flood Plain Modelling:

The reliance on Rural Rapid Flood Hazard Assessments to determine properties in the Flood Plain. This method largely ignores our purpose built and consented stormwater infrastructure.

GHMVRA supports the use of more detailed, site-specific hydraulic and hydrological modelling, to ensure flood risks are accurately assessed and future planning decisions are based on the best available information.

Climate Change Scenario:

The use by Council of a worst-case climate change scenario (SSP5-8.5) that has been retired as implausible from the next UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report.

Sea Level Rise:

The use of a predicted 2 metre sea level rise that looks beyond the year 2150, to determine present-day property Coastal Inundation designations.

Also there is an inconsistency between the Auckland Council Flood Viewer maps that use a 1 metre sea level rise.

Map Transparency:

The PC 120 Flood Plain and Coastal Inundation maps do not explicitly state the climate change scenarios envisaged or the years in the future they reflect.

LIM Clarity:

Property LIMs must clearly distinguish between current risks and possible future risks for the next century.

GHMVRA believe there should be a policy reconsideration of the property rules that took effect on 3 November 2025, based on updated site-specific modelling.

Current Status

Several submissions have been made to Auckland Council raising concerns about the Gulf Harbour floodplain mapping and requesting more detailed modelling.

The PC120 process is still underway, and Aucklanders will have further opportunities to participate before final decisions are made.

Expected Timeline

Based on Auckland Council's current timetable, further public consultation on PC120 is expected later in 2026, although exact dates have not yet been announced.

The anticipated process is:

July 2026

Auckland Council's Policy, Planning and Development Committee will consider feedback from Local Boards and Mana Whenua (iwi).
The Committee will then decide whether changes should be proposed to PC120.

Later in 2026 (expected August)

Auckland Council is expected to publicly notify an updated version of PC120, including any proposed amendments.
A new public submission period will open.
All Auckland residents will be able to make submissions, regardless of whether they participated in the earlier consultation.
Existing submissions will remain valid and continue to be considered.

Mid-2027