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Urban development capacity reporting

The National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (NPS-UDC) requires us to assess and monitor housing and business demand and capacity across our district. It was introduced by the Ministry for the Environment in 2016, and replaced in 2020 with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD).

This reporting ensures Council and community have a good understanding of housing and business trends and demands. Kāpiti, along with the other urban territorial authorities in the Wellington region, has been identified as a medium-growth district. This means that we need to provide specific reports to inform our community.

Housing and Business Assessment | Quarterly monitoring | Research

Housing and Business Assessment (HBA)

Under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), an HBA must be carried out every three years, to help councils provide sufficient development capacity to meet residential and business needs across the next 30 years.

The HBA estimates the type and location of future demand for housing and business and compares this against the current development capacity available across the next 3, 10, and 30-year periods.  The HBA also analyses capacity of infrastructure to support growth, such as three waters (drinking, storm and waste) and transport.

Alongside regular monitoring of local housing and business markets, the HBA provides evidence to inform councils, developers and other stakeholders planning and investment to support current and future housing and business needs.

The HBA is jointly prepared by the six councils covering the Wellington urban area including Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

The Wellington Regional HBA includes a Regional Summary Chapter and separate Chapters for each council area. Appendices provide further details on methodologies, reports and modelling undertaken or commissioned as part of the HBA.

Wellington Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment October 2023

The Wellington Regional Housing and Business Assessment (HBA) 2023 assesses the development capacity available to meet future housing and business demand. This HBA covers councils that are part of the Wellington urban environment and those forming part of the Wairarapa–Wellington–Horowhenua region. The HBA informs our Long-term Plan 2024–34  and a Future Development Strategy for the Wairarapa–Wellington–Horowhenua region.

The following assessment and individual council chapters can be found on the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee website, and supporting appendices are also available at Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment 2023.

Wellington Regional Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment (Housing update) May 2022

The HBA 2022 focuses on an update of housing capacity ahead of a full assessment of both housing and business capacity to be completed to inform the 2024 Long-term Plan. The assessment and individual council chapters is available below.

The 2022 HBA builds on the baseline data provided by the first HBA in 2019. Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment 2019:

Quarterly Monitoring

The NPS-UDC requires Councils to undertake quarterly monitoring of market indicators and development activity. Regular monitoring helps Councils better understand factors affecting the demand and delivery of residential and business development and also helps inform planning processes, including infrastructure investment.

More information on the NPS UDC is available from the Ministry for the Environment.

Quarterly monitoring report archive

Research

Understanding medium density development in Kāpiti. [PDF 5.75 MB] This piece of research was undertaken following the completion of the Housing and Business Assessment (HBA) in 2019. A finding of the HBA was that lower risks and strong preferences for standalone housing meant that opportunities for medium density development were being ‘trumped’ by standalone housing. The purpose of the research was to better understand the factors influencing medium density development across the Kapiti Coast District. Understanding these factors is important as medium density development is seen as playing an increasingly important role in meeting the future growth needs of the district.

The findings of the report will help inform a number of pieces of work that will shape how medium density development is provided and managed in the future. This includes the review of the District Growth Strategy, and the Urban Development Plan Change that will update the District Plan to meet requirements to enable intensification under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development. The work will also help inform Council’s evolving Housing Work Programme to develop relationships and partnerships with iwi, developers and community housing providers to provide solutions to help address the district’s growing housing needs.

Updated 9 April 2025