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Report says volcanic viewshaft rules inflate Auckland house prices and sprawl

A new report claims removing maunga viewshaft protections could lower aggregate land values and reduce house prices, improving household welfare and city density.

Skinny McBuntu

Auckland's Unitary Plan designates 79 viewshafts protecting views of culturally important volcanic cones, or maunga, and 10 height-sensitive areas that restrict building heights. A report argues that these restrictions raise aggregate land values across Auckland by $67 billion and inflate citywide house prices. Removing the viewshaft restrictions could result in lower house prices, improved household welfare, and a more compact, denser city.

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Volcanic viewshafts raise Auckland house prices, encourage sprawl and reduce household welfare, new report says

Removing maunga viewshaft restrictions could lower aggregate land values across Auckland by $67 billion and reduce citywide house prices, resulting in improved household welfare and a more compact, denser city, a new report says. The Auckland Unitary Plan designates 79…

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